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| Shukri Imeri (left) and Sulejman Ugljanin |
The head of the Albanian National Council in Serbia, Shukri Imeri, said it was a milestone in which Albanians and Bosniaks joined forces to advance collective rights within legal frameworks.
The heads of Bosniak and Albanian National Councils (SU) Sulejman Ugljanin and Shukri Imeri signed today a memorandum of cooperation aimed at establishing a common approach to the development program.
At the signing ceremony of this agreement in Novi Pazar, the preamble included the point that Albanians and Bosniaks are indigenous peoples in the Presheva and Sandzak Valley region, and are aware of the importance of inclusion in the integration processes, proportional representation, as well as reaching a broad consensus of political, economic, intellectual and social factors."Conscious of the seriousness of the situation in the Presevo Valley and Sandzak, we have decided to draft this Memorandum of Understanding, which aims to establish cooperation on regional policies, programs, initiatives and the creation of joint activities to support national council policies in within their field of action," Imeri said
On the other hand Sulejman Ugljanin recalled that the Councils have the legal right to take positions and initiatives on issues related to identity and status, because the rights of the Bosniak and Albanian people are guaranteed by law.
He said that in many areas the approach of Albanians and Bosniaks have changed, but that does not apply to the police, the prosecution, the judiciary and the army.
"This obliges us to work together to build a legal framework and implementation of all 35 chapters on our country's accession to the EU, implementing the Action Plan for Action on Minorities, with special emphasis on the cooperation on redefining the minority laws" Said Ugljanin.
He further added that Bosniaks in Sandzak and Albanians in the Presheva Valley are linked by the report of state organs through the public authorizations of the police, army, prosecution and the judiciary, which have an oppressive and non-defensive role.
According to the laws on the rights of national minorities in Serbia, the minorities are represented by the National Councils.