KOSOVA WRITERS ASSOCIATION DENOUNCES INTRODUCTION OF PASSPORT REQUIREMENT FOR MACEDONIA

Kosova Information Center, Prishtina, 19 August 1993

The Kosova Writers Association issued on August 18 a statement regarding the decision of the Macedonian (Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) Government on applying the passport control in the Macedonia-Kosova border.

The statement says: "The application of the passport control regime in the border between Macedonia and Kosova by the Macedonian Government will result in profound difficulties in the cultural, informative and other spheres of communication between Albanians of both sides, who after a bloody disintegration of former Yugoslavia and the irrational shut down of the borders between the newly emerging states out of the former Yugoslav Federation, are experiencing a dramatic humiliation. All this is in contradiction with the international communication and integration standards of this century.

The Albanians of Kosova, Macedonia and other territories of Former Yugoslavia, through their peaceful commitment, have proved to be a peace preserving factor in the Balkans, although humiliated to such a degree of being stripped off its constitutional and human status, instead of being rewarded for their patience and commitment to democracy and peace, they are facing restrictions which threaten their national and cultural being.

The application of such a regime could bring about further tensions in the area, thus the blame laying with those who have designed such an disintegration which gave way to humiliation of human freedoms.", says the statement signed by the Kosova Writers Association secretary, Milazim Krasniqi.

The Democratic League of Kosova, the main political force in Kosova, ripped Tuesday the move of the FYROM Government's decision to introduce passport requirements for passage of the Kosova-Macedonia border. LDK said it was another step in carving up the body of the Albanian ethnic territories.

There is sweeping condemnation among the Kosova Albanian population for the FYROM's decision for introducing passport control as a means of staving off Albanians of both sides communicate normally.