The French daily "Le Monde" published two articles on the possible exchange of territories between Belgrade and Pristina, as well as a map of Kosovo with its interpretation of how the "border changes" will look, adding that "ethnic mosaics, key infrastructure and cultural buildings are barriers to the border re-design project."
The Paris article, in the first article, notes that "territorial exchange on the basis of ethnic criteria is a concern" and that "in the debate on the possible exchange of borders between the two sides collide with each other the ethics and pragmatism."The paper reports an explanation by French geographer Michel Foucher, who says that "the sanctity and the inviolability of the borders should not be confused."
"The borders are intangible from the point of view of international law, by force they can not be questioned, but not untouchable: they can be moved if both sides reach an agreement," Foucher said.
Known at the 1975 Helsinki Conference between the Soviet Union and the West, and formally entered the 1990 Paris Charter, this principle, says Le Monde, enabled German unification after the fall of the Berlin Wall.
"Between 1989 and 1992 in Europe - including Ukraine and Belarus - 22 new borders were established, 11,149 kilometers long," explains Michel Foucher.
The French newspaper notes that in the case of territorial exchange between Belgrade and Pristina, however, it is the first time that it is about the new frontiers drawn on a completely ethnic basis, rather than on the former administrative lines of the constituent republics or autonomous regions of the former Yugoslavia.
In another article, "Le Monde," says the Western Balkans restitution project appears as a solution to stability after 20 years of frozen conflict, but states that residents of the respective areas are again afraid of a "ethnic cleansing ".
This newspaper published a map of Kosovo, along with the inscription:
"Between Kosovo and Serbia, ethnic mosaic, main infrastructure and cultural buildings are obstacles to the border re-design project."
The map shows how the "new borders between Serbia and Kosovo" will look like, where the northern part of Kosovo, with the Serb municipalities of Leposavic, Zvecan, Zubin, Potok and Mitrovica, would pass to Serbia, the territories of the Medvedja and Preševo Valley territories, mostly populated with Albanians, were merged.
Are highlighted four Serb-majority municipalities in northern Kosovo on the map, for which the newspaper writes are "out of control, are not regulated by law and are affected by mafia groups".