Politics extends positive, though confusing, messages in the region

TIRANA, Feb. 1 – Albania’s main opposition Socialist Party leader Edi Rama made a visit to the Albanian-populated Serbian town of Presheve at a time when its top officials had arrived in Tirana to meet with Albanian top officials here.
Rama continued his opposition politics in Preshevaءccusing the Albanian government of many things. While the governing media in Albania accused Rama of trying to impose strange ideas on the Albanians there.
Do the ethnic Albanians in the Presheva Valley understand such opposing and squabbling politics? And is that of interest or of any importance to learn about the political frictions in a country of which they are not residents?
The Presheve region in southern Serbia, close to neighboring Kosovo, is dominated by ethnic Albanians who have also elected a lawmaker at the Belgrade parliament. But they continuously complain of Belgrade’s treatment and call for help in Tirana and elsewhere.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Edmond Haxhinasto said Saturday that Albania will continue to fully support ethnic Albanians in three municipalities in southern Serbia, Presheve, Medvegje and Bujanovc, in their efforts to gain equal participation in the political, social and institutional life of Serbia and improve their access to education.
Representatives of Albanians from the Presheva Valley were in Tirana where they met with Haxhinasto.
Meanwhile Rama was in Presheva to promote his recent book “Kurban.” Rama said he would urge Tirana authorities to fund the building of two schools and a maternity in Presheva. He also said that Serbia has to accept the fact that Kosovo is an independent state with a clear international position. The sooner Serbia realizes this reality, the better for Serbia, Kosovo, and the entire region, Rama said. Rama also met with local ethnic Albanian leaders behind closed doors.
While it may be good that Tirana officials extend their daily agenda to the problems of the ethnic Albanians in the region, it would be much better if did not use it as an opportunity to extend the squabbling political rhetoric beyond Albanian borders.