UN General Assembly
1990

The Albanians in Yugoslavia, who represent the oldest indigenous population among all the peoples of that State, who are the third largest of the nations making up Yugoslavia, and who for centuries have lived on their soil in a compact territory, are demanding no more rights than are enjoyed by the Serbs, the Slovenians, the Croatians or the Macedonians. But they will accept nothing less. They want to be on an equal footing with all the other nations comprising Yugoslavia. The Albanians are demanding recognition of their right to self-determination. They want to live in a Yugoslav federation or confederation, if the other nations also favour those forms of government. The right of nations to self-determination is one of the greatest rights mankind has gained, which is why it has been sanctioned in the Charter of the United Nations and has actually been transformed into one of the basic principles of the democratic processes taking place in Europe and the world in general.