Surroi too optimistic?

[Paola Lucchesi <paola.lucchesi@mail.inet.it>]

http://www.balkanreport.com/angliski/dnevnikveton.htm

ANY ARMED GROUP SHOULD BE POLITICALLY ISOLATED

"Macedonia has the strength to deal with the crises issues and to
eliminate them gradually, but most important is to preserve the
calmness," Veton Suroi said for today's edition of "Dnevnik" daily.
Suroi is owner of the Pristina daily "Koha Ditore" and one of the top
Albanian intellectuals in Kosovo. He also participated in the
negotiating team from Kosovo at the negotiations in Rambouyet, before
the NATO military intervention against Yugoslavia in March 1999. By the
end of the Kosovo crisis, the world media reported that Suroi was
killed, and later that he was alive but kidnapped. At the end, he
survived the crisis, but withdrew from the politics.

March 9, 2001

Dnevnik: Mr. Suroi, what do you think about the Agreement for
demarcation, signed between Macedonia and Yugoslavia?

Suroi: I think that Skopje must discuss about the borders with Belgrade,
but the UNMIK representatives must be included in the negotiations. That
can still be done. UNMIK threats the issues regarding Kosovo and it is
unacceptable for Kosovo Macedonia and FR Yugoslavia to discuss on the
border.

Dnevnik: In your opinion, who stands behind the armed provocations
against the Macedonian Army in the region of the Tanusevci village?

Surroi: In general, everything that is going on not only in Macedonia
but in the Balkans as whole has a positive political and economic trend.
The extremist groups are being marginalized and they see that their role
is changing, so they think they need to do something big. Those groups
are not supported by anyone and they want to popularize themselves with
armed conflicts. The leaders of the biggest political parties in Kosovo
said few days ago that the stability in the region depends on giving a
status of statehood nation to the Albanians in Macedonia.

Dnevnik: How do you estimate this position?

Surroi: I think that there is an evolution in the relations in
Macedonia. The Albanian factor has a chance to make decisions as never
before. It is not good for the relations between Kosovo and Macedonia if
Kosovo politicians make judgments on Macedonia's Constitutional rights.

Dnevnik: In your opinion, should the Macedonian army and police act more
firmly in the resolving of the problem at the northern border?

Surroi: The stability of Macedonia does not depend on the Macedonian
army or police. It depends on the political relations and from that
aspect we have a positive trend. There have been signals coming from
Kosovo and Albania that the stability of Macedonia is in the interest of
the Albanians.

Dnevnik: What do you think what will be the end of the crisis in south
Serbia and northern Macedonian border like?

Surroi: The moments of crisis still produce political dynamics. I
consider that we have a positive trend in the current situation. It will
be good if the Serbian side does not hyper-exploit the situation in the
Presevo valley. Regarding the problem at the northern Macedonian border
and Tanusevci, I think that any armed group should be politically
isolated. Macedonia's sovereignty cannot depend on Tanusevci. The
Macedonian society has the strength to deal with the crisis issues and
to eliminate them gradually. It is most important to preserve the
calmness

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