[NYC-L] Albanian PM lashes ethnic Albanian militants (fwd)

[Mentor Cana]

Interestingly enough, the article does not show Ilir Meta directing any
questions towards the Serb and Macedonian governments with a request that
these governments change and improve their ways dealing with Albanians.

It wold have been beneficial and helpful to the Albanian peaceful struggle
in Serbia and Macedonia if I. Meta at least acknowledged the repression of
Serbia and Macedonia on its Albanian population.

Is the Albanian government helping the Albanians outside its borders at
all?!

later,
Mentor

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Albanian PM lashes ethnic Albanian militants

PARIS, March 6 (Reuters) - Albanian Prime Minister Ilir Meta was quoted on
Tuesday as describing alleged action by ethnic Albanian guerrillas in
southern Serbia and Macedonia as totally unacceptable and detrimental to
regional stability.

"I hope the Albanians (of southern Serbia and Macedonia) will choose dialogue
because otherwise they will become isolated and lose everyone's support,"
Meta, currently on a visit to France, told the daily newspaper Le Figaro.

Gunmen widely believed to be ethnic Albanians have exchanged fire with
Macedonian security forces around a border village in recent days and three
Macedonian soldiers were killed on Sunday.

The guerrillas appeared to have ties with the neighbouring Serbian province
of Kosovo, where some 90 percent of the population is ethnic Albanian.

There has also been violence in an area of nearby southern Serbia which also
has a large ethnic Albanian population.

Asked what his position was towards militants who sought to impose a "greater
Albania" in the region, Meta replied: "We are not in favour of any border
changes and we are absolutely against a resumption of violence.

"The Albanians (of Serbia) must negotiate with Belgrade. As for Macedonia,
the maintaining of its territorial integrity and sovereignty are as essential
for us as they are for regional stability," he said.

The Albanian prime minister added that the ethnic Albanian minority in
Macedonia had seen its rights improve and there was "no reason to pursue the
conflict."

Meta said his country wanted good relations with the new Serbian authorities.
He also said that he had asked ethnic Albanians in Kosovo to show more
tolerance towards those Serbs who had remained in the province.
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