Greater Albania

The protest was organised by Albanian opposition parties, the Democratic Forum for Integration and the Democratic Alliance.

They claim that the government has been "abusing and discriminating against" local Albanians in Tuzi, where they form the majority community.

Jonuz Musliu, president of the mainly ethnic Albanian town of Bujanovac in southern Serbia, said that ethnic Albanian parts of Serbia should have a right to join Kosovo, now that the ethnically Russian Crimean region had joined Russia.

KOSOVSKA MITROVICA - The mayors of the northern Kosovo-Metohija municipalities have urged EU representatives to publicly condemn ideas of dismembering Serbia, voicing their disappointment at the diplomatic silence following a statement by "ethnic Albanian terrorists in southern Serbia who are threatening with secession of a part of Serbian territory."

"Serbian municipalities should join Albania and Kosovo"

BELGRADE -- A leader of ethnic Albanians in the south has said that "if Russia can annex Crimea" southern Serbian municipalities should be given the right to join Kosovo.

According to reports, Jonuz Musliu spoke about the municipalities of Preševo and Bujanovac "uniting with Albania and Kosovo."

Southern parts of Serbia could request to join Kosovo if Crimea is incorporated into Russia.

"If authorities in Moscow demand that Crimea join Russia, Tirana [Albania's capital] and Pristina [Kosovo's capital] should demand the same for Presevo valley," Jonuz Musliu, head of Bujanovac Municipality, was quoted as saying by Serbian radio B92 and CROSS news agency.

BELGRADE - A statement by Jonuz Musliju, leader of the Movement for Democratic Progress (PDP), that if Russia annexed Crimea, the municipalities of Presevo and Bujanovac should be given the right to join Kosovo, poses a threat to the territorial integrity of Serbia, warns Aleksandar Vulin, Serbia's outgoing government's minister without portfolio in charge of Kosovo-Metohija (KIM).

BELGRADE - The Party for Democratic Action (PDD), which has won two seats in the Serbian parliament, will not turn away from the talks on its participation in the new government, says Saip Kamberi, official of the political party gathering ethnic Albanians from the south of central Serbia.

BELGRADE - Head of the OSCE Mission to Serbia Peter Burkhard urged on Thursday members of the Albanian community in southern Serbia to vote in early parliamentary elections that will be held on March 16.

BELGRADE - The recent interruption of discussions with political and institutional representatives of ethnic Albanians in Presevo and Bujanovac has brought "no good to anyone," the head of the Serbian government's coordination body for southern Serbia said on Tuesday, urging a resumption of the discussions.

BUJANOVAC - The Party for Democratic Action (PDA), which gathers ethnic Albanians from southern Serbia, has decided to take part in the early parliamentary elections scheduled for March 16.

Chair of the PDA Bujanovac municipal committee Saip Kamberi confirmed for Tanjug that PDA wishes to test its strength in the elections and hopes to win at least one MP seat.