TIRANA, April 14 /ATA/ Chairman of the Albanian National Council in the Presheva Valley Enkel Rexhepi said to the IV Diaspora Summit that the Albanian diaspora is an essential national force, yet the persistent challenges faced by residents in the Presheva Valley demand immediate attention.
Speaking at the panel “Diaspora and representative democracy in the Albanian space: from votes to institutional representation”, Rexhepi emphasized that the Albanians of the Presheva Valley face numerous challenges related to fundamental rights and institutional representation.
One of the main issues raised by Rexhepi was the systematic deactivation of Albanian addresses as a bureaucratic tactic aimed at reducing their numbers in official state records.
“The systematic passivation of addresses is stripping ethnic Albanians of their fundamental rights—including voting, property ownership, and access to public services—requiring immediate international intervention”, he said.
Rexhepi also raised concerns about the non-recognition of diplomas, describing this as a serious obstacle to the development of young people in the Valley.
“A young person who graduates faces an unfair reality because his diploma is not recognized. This is not a technical issue, but a form of exclusion that affects the future of an entire generation,” he said.
Speaking about the economic situation, Rexhepi said that unemployment and difficult economic conditions are affecting the continued migration of Albanians from Presheva Valley.
He also raised the issue of agreements signed between Albanian representatives and Serbian institutions, emphasizing that they have not been implemented in practice.
“None of the signed agreements have been implemented, despite the presence of the international factor. This has blocked support for agriculture and education,” Rexhepi stressed.
In conclusion of his speech, he called for greater engagement of the Albanian diaspora and institutions in protecting the rights of Albanians in the region. /gj.m/j.p/p.s./
