No change of Kosovo borders, says Meta

TIRANA, July 5 – Tirana is insisting that the borders of the new state of Kosovo cannot be changed, as some have recently suggested in the media.
Foreign Minister Ilir Meta said that “the status of Kosovo and its borders are permanently concluded and irreversible issues.”
Responding to a question of the Albanian Telegraphic Agency on the idea of the division of Kosovo or the exchange of territories between Kosovo and Serbia, which has been largely referred to lately across various media outlets, Meta said: “First, I would like to reconfirm that Albania fully supports the independent and sovereign state of Kosovo and its territorial integrity. The status of Kosovo and its borders are permanently concluded and irreversible issues.”
“The ideas of partitioning Kosovo or to exchange territories constitute a serious danger to peace, security and stability, not only in Kosovo, but throughout the region and further.
My conviction is that the path to achieving our common European and Euro-Atlantic aspiration, goes only through the full observance of existing borders, the territorial integrity of each-other and through strengthening regional cooperation,” he said.
Kosovo declared independence in February 2008, but Serbia and its ally Russia have refused to recognize that. So far 69 countries, including the United States, have recognized Kosovo’s statehood.
Tirana is lobbying around the world to add more countries in that list.