Shaip Kamberi

First results suggest an ethnic Albanian coalition has secured a seat in Serbia's parliament, ending a marathon battle that began with the April Serbian general elections.

"Everyone likes to stay in his own place, his home, but here people do not see any prospects," Salihi says.

Sitting in the village café in front of the community office, Salihi says the large ethnic Albanian diaspora keeps life in the village ticking, thanks to their remittances.

As a political representative of ethnic Albanians in Serbia, Shaip Kamberi never had it easy.

It got a whole lot harder, however, when an election last year yielded a parliament dominated by the party of President Aleksandar Vucic and its allies, leaving Kamberi and his five Albanian and Bosniaks colleagues as the only opposition MPs in the 250-seat assembly.

The initiative was signed by the President of the National Council of Albanians Ragmi Mustafa, Bujanovac Mayor Shaip Kamberi and member of the Serbian Assembly from that municipality Fatmir Hasani, RTS is reporting.

Ragmi Mustafa told T7 broadcaster that Pristina delegation led by President Hashim Thaci "should take seriously the request of Albanians in Presevo Valley to discuss their matter in Brussels."

President Bujar Nishani on Tuesday became the first Albanian head of state to visit Serbia since Communist dictator Enver Hoxha in 1948.

Nishani visited Bujanovac and Presevo, two municipalities in the south of Serbia where the majority of people are ethnic Albanians, but did not meet any Serbian state officials and got a frosty reaction from politicians in Belgrade.