"CHANGES OF INTERNAL BORDERS IN FORMER YUGOSLAVIA WILL APPLY FOR ALBANIANS TOO", PRESIDENT RUGOVA SAYS

Kosova Daily Report, Prishtina, 3 august 1994

Albanian sections of the Voice of America and Deutsche Welle broadcast yesterday separate interviews with President Rugova of the Republic of Kosova in the wake of recent diplomatic moves to bring an end to the ongoing war in Bosnia and its possible implications for the rearrangement in the Balkans.

Commenting on the recent statements of Russian Foreign Minister Andrey Kozyrev during his visit to Belgrade that once the Bosnian Serbs endorsed the peace plan put forward by the Contact Group the sanctions against rump Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) would be lifted and that the "Serbian Republic" could enter in confederal links with Serbia/Yugoslavia. President of the Republic of Kosova Dr. Ibrahim Rugova reiterated his call that easing or suspension of sanctions against Serbia be conditioned with the settlement of the Kosova question.

"Kosova was not part of the (Contact Group) packet directly, yet Kosova remains one of the conditions for the lifting of sanctions (on Serbia) and we will insist on this", said President Rugova to the VOA correspondent in Prishtina, whereas, speaking for Deutsche Welle, he called Kozyrev's statement a "constructive pressure on Serbs".

As to the idea floated by Kozyrev on the possibility of confederal ties of Bosnian Serbs with Serbia, it is a real question as to whether the Bosnian territorial integrity will be preserved, said President Rugova, adding: "The stance of the Albanian political parties of Kosova and the (1991 Kosova) Referendum is that every change of the internal borders of former Yugoslavia should apply also for Albanians. Of course, we will also seek different confederal links that will come up in the Balkans, or in the areas of former Yugoslavia". President Rugova of the Republic of Kosova further said: "We still endorse the position on an independent and neutral Kosova, which allows confederal ties. In the first place, that would be a confederation with Albania, and that is normal."

In the interviews with VOA and Deutsche Welle, President Rugova of the Republic of Kosova said that an application of models put forward for Bosnia and elsewhere in former Yugoslavia, namely diverse models of federal and confederal ties, will apply for Albanians in former Yugoslavia, too, based on the Political Declaration of the Albanian Political Parties in former Yugoslavia.

Speaking to the Deutsche Welle correspondent in Prishtina, President Rugova of Kosova pointed out that the position on a neutral and independent Kosova - open to both Albania and Serbia - contains a confederal element too, namely as a neutral zone in the Balkans.