Kosovo, Macedonia start border demarcation process

02/09/2008

PRISTINA, Kosovo -- Committees from Kosovo and Macedonia began drawing the border Monday (September 1st) between the two countries in the Debelldeh region. The demarcation is based on cadastral data, not on the agreement reached between Skopje and Belgrade in 2001, Albanian media reported. Escorted by Kosovo and Macedonian policemen, the committees worked steadily. Serbian authorities have not yet participated in the process, which is expected to return 429ha of land to Kosovo.

In other news Monday, Serbian Education Minister Zarko Obradovic confirmed that his government has decided not to recognise diplomas awarded by the University of Pristina and bearing the UNMIK seal. His comment came a day after Riza Halimi, an ethnic Albanian leader from the Presevo area, told reporters that the move "came out of the blue, since the issue was resolved in 2001". (Koha ditore, Lajm, Zeri, Express - 02/09/08; Tanjug, Beta, B92, RTS - 01/09/08)