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Albanian problem in Balkans may explode — Lavrov

The foreign minister drew attention to the Kosovo problem and recalled that in 2013 an agreement was reached between Pristina and Belgrade on the establishment of the Community of Serb Municipalities of Kosovo

MOSCOW, January 18. /TASS/. The Albanian factor in the Balkans is very serious and the problem may explode, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told a news conference on the achievements of Russian diplomacy in 2023.

He drew attention to the Kosovo problem and recalled that in 2013, with the mediation of the European Union, an agreement was reached between Pristina and Belgrade on the establishment of the Community of Serb Municipalities of Kosovo. However, more than 10 years have passed, but nothing has changed.

"The deadlock over the implementation of this agreement, which the EU presented as its greatest diplomatic achievement, is still there. There is nothing the EU can do about this. The only thing they have managed to deliver, as I understand it, is that they have come up with an idea to please Mr. Albin Kurti [prime minister of unrecognized Kosovo], to please Pristina, to rewrite this agreement on the Community of Serb Municipalities of Kosovo, to rewrite it in such a way that there are no rights for Serbs in the north of Kosovo, that these rights are absolutely artificial, while real power should remain in the Albanians’ hands," Lavrov added.

"The European Union, of course, should feel ashamed, because in 2013 they were trumpeting success: we have made it, the problem of Kosovo has been solved. Nothing of the sort. Now, just like on any other issue, when it is necessary to implement agreements, they backtrack in favor of the side that is closer to them in this particular case. And they are closer, of course, to Kosovo’s Albanians, because they have sworn allegiance, they want to join NATO, they want to join in everywhere, and they will faithfully follow the instructions from the European Union, if only the Albanian problem in the Balkans does not explode. The Albanian factor is very serious," Lavrov said.

He noted that the speaker of Macedonia's parliament still holds a seat at a table on which the Albanian flag is hoisted.

"The Macedonian one is also standing somewhere, but the Albanian one is next to it. But this, actually, is a separate topic," he added.

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