Ceku says Kosova partition would raise issue of greater Albania

PRISHTINA, Jan. 3 -Outgoing Kosova Prime Minister, Agim Ceku said during one of his final interviews before leaving office that an attempt to divide Kosova could create “problems” with the borders of four regional states.
Ceku, who may form his own political party, said in an interview to the German news agency DPA that Kosova’s partition “might create problems with borders in four Albanian-populated states and create unrest throughout the region”.
“Albanians live in four countries other than Albania.”
“If Kosova is partitioned along ethnic lines, those would want to talk about uniting with Albania.”
Macedonia and Montenegro both have sizeable ethnic Albanian minorities within their borders. Besides those living in Kosova, Serbia also has ethnic Albanian-populated areas in the so-called Preshevo Valley region.
Ceku also said that Kosova was “ready for independence”.
But analysts believe that in case of a unilateral declaration of independence by Kosova’s ethnic Albanian leadership, a de facto partition would occur immediately, with Prishtina’s inability to control the northern, Serb-inhabited areas.
The idea to partition the province never surfaced as an official initiative during the two years of various forms of negotiations conducted by Belgrade and Prishtina and mediated by the international community, but it has been floated on numerous occasions in the media. Both sides have so far rejected the possibility of such an outcome to the ongoing Kosova status crisis. The Kosova leadership, representing the majority Albanians, is expected to unilaterally declare independence from Serbia early next year, with the blessing of the United States and the European Union.
While Serbia adamantly insists on sovereignty over Kosova in its entirety, some scenarios being floated envisage a partition along the country’s main ethnic lines, into a small Serb north and its Albanian populated area.