COVER N. 327 - KOSOVO 

Postmark: Fushë Kosovë 1 - Kosovo Polje 1  12010 19.09.2023

Posted on the 19th September; received on the 2nd October 2023

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Kosovo.... the portion of former Yugoslavia where, at present, ethnic tensions are more exacerbated, with relations between  the Albanian (92% of the population) and the Serb (4%) communities being rather tense.

Kosovo declared its independency in 2008, but Serbia has long stated that it will never recognise it. UE membership though is a shared goal for the two governments and this has facilitated some understanding leading to what became known as the Brussels Agreement of 2013, which sought to normalise relations between them. 

Within the framework of this agreement, Serbia did not recognise the independence of Kosovo but at least implicitly recognised Kosovo's Government as a valid interlocutor for establishing a way forward towards peaceful coexistence.

Implementing the provisions of the agreement, though, has not been an easy task, judging from the news coming out of the region every now and then, be it about demonstrations against mandatory Kosovar licence plates for Serbs or the coming into office of  ethnic Albanian mayors in ethnic Serb majority cities, as a result of elections whose results are not fully accepted by the Serb community, on the basis of the rather low voter turnout (3%?).

  

All this notwithstanding, 102 countries out of the 193 UN Member States have already recognised the sovereignty of the balkanic state, from where I got this lovely cover for which I have to send a great many thanks to Matthias. 

Ethnic tensions between people who have always lived side by side.. history repeats itself ever so often these days...why can't people learn to live together ...I guess I am going to hear Joe Cocker's Space Captain....

...

Until I die

Until we die

Learning to live together

Learning to live together

Learning to live together

Till we die

...

Medicinal plants. This was the theme selected by Posta e Kosovës (Kosovo Post) for the four stamp set issued in minisheets with two strips of the four stamps on 04APR2022. The top half of such a minisheet was used by Matthias on this cover.

From left to right, the stamps are illustrated with images of the following plants:

Portulaca oleracea (0.30€). I was not aware of the medicinal uses of this plant which is rather common in my own country. As it stands it seems it is good for ailments of the kidneys, bladder and liver and to fight scurvy. What I do know, though, is that it makes for an excellent Portuguese traditional soup  - Sopa de Beldroegas - which I often make, when in season.  

Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (0.50 €) a member of the Ericaceae family.  Its medicinal uses are directed at the treatment of  cystitis and urinary lithiasis

Juniperus oxycedrus (0.60€). Another species also present in my country. According to what I read on the internet its essential oil  can be used to treat skin ailements, like psoriasis or eczema.

Sambucus nigra (0.80), elderberry, also present in Portugal. it seems its medicinal uses are directed at respiratory tract problems.

The postmark indicates that the cover was mailed from Fushë Kosovë, a town in the Pristina district in central Kosovo.