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The President of the United States of America, Mr. Donald Trump/

The German Chancellor of Germany, Ms. Angela Merkel/

The Prime Minister of Great Britain, Ms. Teresa May/

The President of the Republic of France, Mr. Emmanuel Macron/

The President of the Republic of Albania, Mr. Ilir Meta/

The President of the Republic of Kosovo, Mr. Hashim Thaçi/

The Prime Minister of the Republic of Albania, Mr. Edi Rama,/

The Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Mr. Ramush Haradinaj/

Albania’s parliamentary political parties in Albania, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro and the valley of Presevo./

Memorandum

It is time to protect Kosovo from the separation, disintegration and dissolution of its statehood!

Honored Excellencies,

The South East European studies with its center in Tirana and Pristina addresses through this memorandum a major and vital issue, maintaining sovereignty and territorial integrity of Kosovo, and increasing efforts to make it as a member of United Nations and international organizations!

Concerned about today’s discussions regarding of the conclusion of Pristina’s dialogue with Belgrade about the separation of Kosovo,

stunned by the statements and ongoing efforts of state and political representatives in Belgrade to impose territorial benefits in Kosovo on behalf of resolving the Albanian-Serbian conflict,

disappointed by the position of the President of the country, Hashim Thaci and the Albanian Prime Minister, Edi Rama for compromising with Serbia by giving her a part of the of the country territory;

with regrets about the irresponsible statements according to some international authorities to which Pristina-Belgrade dialogue “may end with the changing of the borders if the parties agree”

and after a depth study and our investigations on this case,

we are addressing you with the request, based on the international law and the sovereign right of the citizens of Kosovo, to end this discussion on the option to separate Kosovo and to not support these ideas for the following reasons:

1. Kosovo’s borders are defined in Yugoslavia’s period within the political and legal will of the three legislative chambers of that time, the Parliament of Yugoslavia, the Serbian Parliament and the Parliament of Kosovo. These borders were a constitutive element of the former Yugoslavian Federation same as the other former republics emerged from the dissolution of this federation. The 1992 Bandit International Commission, when it was the time of the creation of the new former Yugoslavian states, decided that these states should be recognized as their federal borders and demanded their unchanging during the process of independence. Kosovo is an independent state as a product of the violent disintegration of the former Yugoslavia.

2. Kosovo has been recognized by 114 countries, including the United States of America, 7 most industrialized countries and 23 countries who are member states of European Union and 24 countries, members of NATO in its actual borders. Every change on these boundaries means a violation of the political will of the recognition of these countries. United States of America, Great Britain and other members of European Union and NATO, it is the main principal actor of Kosovo’s liberation from Serbia’s cruel rule and the main support of  its state. Every deviation of these boundaries affects at the same time the protection of the American-European and NATO’s investment on this place.
3. The separation option of Kosovo has been rejected in Marti Ahtissari’s document, based on that the other most powerful countries have sponsored its creation and state building. Kosovo’s constitution forbids changes in Ahtissari’s paper. Based on Ahtissari’s plan, the Constitution of the Republic of Kosovo in Article 2, item 2 defines that “The borders of Kosovo are unsustainable “! Consequently most of the politicians and citizens of the country do not accept the constitution changes which also change the map of Kosovo. This means war incentive and conflicts in this country. Currently all the Albanian political forces in Kosovo, in Albania and beyond, have declared against the attempts of the three Vuciq-Thaci-Rama for the separation of  Kosovo, including the Prime Minister and the President of Kosovo as well as the Albanian President.

4.The international Court of Justice in Hague within its decision of 22nd of July 2010, has confirmed that the independence and citizenship of Kosovo in its actual borders is based on the international law and in the requirements of the Security Council resolution 1224 of June 10th, 1999 . It means that the state of Kosovo is created in harmony with the international legal and political will. The preservation of the borders and its territory is an obligation not only of the constitutional institutions of  Pristina but even an obligation of the international community, respectively Great Powers.

5. The change and the separation of the borders affects political, economic, strategic and vital interests. In the North of Kosovo, which Belgrade is seeking to annex through an agreement with Mr. Thaci, there are 90% of mineral resources, as well as water reserves which supply more than half of Kosovo including the capital of the country, Pristina. In the North of Kosovo is found the highest peak of Balkan, from where the entire peninsula up to the Black Sea, Bosphorus and even up to the Middle East can be controlled. In the North of Kosovo there is the largest part of a giant industrial zone, Trepca. All these assets up to 200-300 billion would go to Serbia. Citizens of Kosovo will not agree with this catastrophic loss. Instead of Serbia reimbursing the extraordinary damages that caused Kosovo in the recent war, Serbia wants to take from Kosovo all its largest assets of the country. For this reason, a truncated Kosovo in her borders will no longer exist as a state. This disintegration of the state of Kosovo will be the worst investment for stability and security in the region and beyond.
6. The subdivision of Kosovo was also an option of Milosevic. The USA and the other powerful EU countries at that time (before the 1999 war) were against this option, hence the bombing of Serbian’s military and police targets by NATO. If the separation would take place today , it would be a serious offense for the losses that happened during the war, respectively for 16 thousand victims of Milosevic Serbian violence, for 20 thousand women and girls raped by Serbian soldiers and police officers in Kosovo, for the colossal damages of static and mobile properties in Kosovo, which accounted 200 $ billion. It would as well undermine the authority and values of NATO’s and EU’s contribution. Every deviation from the policy of respecting the overall and territorial integrity of Kosovo is a heavy hit with irreparable consequences for its destiny.
7. The project of the alienation of Kosovo’s territory and its division is made in Belgrade and it is supported by Moscow. We consider that with this separation, Russia and Serbia will count on the disintegration of the state of Kosovo. That means to be one together with Albania. Kosovo’s union with Albania legitimizes Belgrade and Banjaluka’s demand for the establishment of the Serb-Bosnian federation. Consequently Russia will build anti-European military bases in the territory of Republica of Srpska. The United States of America and other countries of the European Union can’t allow Serbia and Russia to extend their political and economical influence in Serbia and in the Republic of Srpska, who possesses a narrow strip of the Adriatic coast. That would be a serious break of peace, security and stability in Balkan and Europe.
8. The effect of changing the borders of Kosovo will lie over Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Romania, Slovakia and Greece, countries that have conflicts and ethnic problems with their neighbors. Therefore all the countries in the region, including Greece and Bosnia Herzegovina which have not recognized Kosovo, have reacted against the option of changing the borders. The division of Kosovo will be used by Moscow as a formula for the division of Ukraine, Moldova, Lithuania, Latvia and will legitimize it’s annexation of Crimea. In the end it will be a chain of ethnic conflicts. According to this the division, Kosovo will become a precedent, while its independence was a logical dissolution of Yugoslavia and Serbia’s violence against the Albanians. Albanians do not wish to become part of these projects. They are positioned  as credible undisputed allies of the United State of America, NATO and the European Union.

9.In Serbia, Albania and Kosovo the idea of separation is supported by corrupted oligarchs, represented respectively by Serbian President Alexander Vuciq, Prime Minister of Albania Edi Rama, and Kosovo’s President Hashim Thaci.  The division of Kosovo is a political will of these three oligarchs, that for suspicious reasons cooperate with other oligarchs from the east.  These three are closely related with the formers of Milosevic. This oligarch seems to be combined with other factors of international oligarchs. The fact that Alex Soros in the last three months has traveled to Belgrad-Pristina-Tirana triangle, has raised doubt that after this initiative, behind the respective partners, Alexander Vuciq, Hashim Thaci and Edi Rama, stands the international philanthropist, Georg Soros. Oligarchies always survive through conflict and instability. Similarly, the separation of  Kosovo is in their interest.

The United State of America and the European Union should contribute on building a rule of law on these countries and other ones in the region. The views and ideas of the corrupted oligarchs of Serbia, Albania, Kosovo and beyond should not be taken into consideration, because they don’t give importance to the development of the peace, stability and security in the region. The change of the borders and the separation of  Kosovo aims to extending the market of oligarchs and their power in Albania, Kosovo and Russia.  This deal is of interests for reciprocal money laundry and re-investing dirty money in these countries. Belgrade has its own style of financial and material attraction to Albanian politicians and the others. The United States of America and the other countries especially Germany, Great Britain and Austria , as safe and permanent allies of Albanians, as contributors and sponsors of peace, democracy and law should stop this process.

10. It is true that Kosovo is not a member of NATO, but NATO is in Kosovo. Consequently Kosovo should be considered as a part of Atlantic and should be treated the same as other countries of this Alliance. Any attempt of changing the boundaries of the country will affect the image of NATO and European Union in front of the international opinion, as well as it will affect the confidence of its inhabitants that determine these powerful geopolitical factors and actors in the world. Any omission to change these boundaries or to violate Kosovo’s statehood through the Serbian state in its territory will be considered as a weakness of American and European politics and diplomacy and this will be used for the benefits of their opponent in a strategic view from the Illyrian power.
11. If Kosovo’s northern part partitions only due to 30 thousand Serbs as residents, then no one will have the right to stop Macedonia’s separation with 700 thousand Albanian residents. The division of Serbia with 60 thousand Albanians in the Presevo Valley can’t be stopped as well as other majority Albanian residents in Vojvodina and Sandzak, the division of Greece with hundreds Albanians living in Chameria, the division of Montenegro with almost 50 thousands Albanians as residents autochthonous in the continuity of the border with Albania. With Kosovo’s separation nothing will ever be the same for Albanians in Balkan. This means conflicts and war through the countries of Balkan.

The division of the northern of Kosovo would cause violence against Serbia in enclaves within the country, because Albanians would see them as a permanent danger to the country’s independence and sovereignty. The division of Kosovo will lead to the creation of ethnic states. This movement would created conflicts in Europe and in other continents. The USA and the EU together with NATO are powerful to prevent this thing to happened.

12. If the process of Kosovo’s separation begins, it’s parliament will not ratify such agreements. Therefore, a powerful civil anti-serbian movement would start in Kosovo demanding Serbia to indemnify Kosovo for crimes and damages of 20 years ago. Families with over 1600 missing members, who were taken alive and disposed to Serbia, taking their organs for medical transplants would break into a legitimate revolt in the defense of sovereignty of the state. This massive amount of people would be joined by all the citizens of Kosovo and the agreement will remain a relic of bad thoughts. Currently, all the political forces in Kosovo as well as the country’s Prime Minister and the major of the Parliament are against Mr. Vuciq’s, Mr. Rama’s and Mr. Thaci’s idea of the so called “border changes”!

Under these circumstances, we urge the United State of America, RF of Germany, the United Kingdom, Austria , to increase pressure on Belgrade accept Kosovo as an independent state and to apologize for the crimes that Serbia undertook against Albanians, without discussing about its territory. Meanwhile we also call for the political leadership in Kosovo to compact its actions and attitudes and to guarantee the international community to respect the freedom and rights of minorities, including Serbs in Kosovo.  Albanian states and political authorities in Albania, Kosovo and in Balkan must distance and pressure the prevention of a new catastrophe in the Albanian and Balkan region. Albanians have and will benefit prosperity and develop the terms of peace, harmony with itself and its neighbors, as well as with the alliance of NATO, the European Union and the United State of America!

 

Institute of South East European Studies

Prof. Assoc. Dr. Enver Bytyçi – Excecutive Director

Tirana, Pristina, 20.10.2018