Newsroom
Three faculty buildings returned to Albanian authorities in Pristina
PRISTINA 15 February 1999
PRISTINA, 15 February 1999 - The premises of three former faculties were returned to the Albanian academic authorities during a brief ceremony at Pristina University.
Since 1991 access to the buildings of the law, economics and pedagogy faculties had been denied to Albanian students. "This is an important first step" says Prof. Abdyl Rama, Professor of Pedagogy at Pristina University, "We very much look forward to working with both Albanian and Serbian students. This will be an important part in the process of rebuilding Kosovo after the Rambouillet talks in Paris."
For his part, Mr. Simonovic stated that "education for all is very important". He added that today's hand-over satisfies the intentions of the education agreement signed by President Slobodan Milosevic and Ibrahim Rugova in 1996.
On the other hand, Prof. Rama stressed that this should not be viewed as the implementation of any previous agreement, but rather as a gesture of goodwill, as only a small fraction of facilities have been returned. in the last nine years.
OSCE was represented by Mr. Bernd Borchardt, Deputy Head of Mission, Democratic Development, who described today's event as "a confidence building measure and a positive step".
After the event, professors and students gathered at the university and kissed and hugged as they celebrated the hand-over while eight MUP policemen armed with semi-automatic weapons looked on.
Since 1991 access to the buildings of the law, economics and pedagogy faculties had been denied to Albanian students. "This is an important first step" says Prof. Abdyl Rama, Professor of Pedagogy at Pristina University, "We very much look forward to working with both Albanian and Serbian students. This will be an important part in the process of rebuilding Kosovo after the Rambouillet talks in Paris."
For his part, Mr. Simonovic stated that "education for all is very important". He added that today's hand-over satisfies the intentions of the education agreement signed by President Slobodan Milosevic and Ibrahim Rugova in 1996.
On the other hand, Prof. Rama stressed that this should not be viewed as the implementation of any previous agreement, but rather as a gesture of goodwill, as only a small fraction of facilities have been returned. in the last nine years.
OSCE was represented by Mr. Bernd Borchardt, Deputy Head of Mission, Democratic Development, who described today's event as "a confidence building measure and a positive step".
After the event, professors and students gathered at the university and kissed and hugged as they celebrated the hand-over while eight MUP policemen armed with semi-automatic weapons looked on.