The President and Prime Minister of Serbia have slammed the Sunday visit of Kosovo’s former Prime Minister and its Acting President to a Serb-majority town in the northern part of the country.
Albin Kurti and Vjosa Osmani, who also lead the largest Kosovo party Vetevendosje in the February 14 general elections, visited the Trepca mine and held a rally in North Mitrovica on Saturday, a Kosovo city administered by the Serb List party backed by Belgrade.
Videos posted online showed moments when some people shouted in Serbian against the two politicians.
President Aleksandar Vucic of Serbia accused the two leaders of trying to “humiliate” the Serbs of Kosovo by visiting their town, and praised them for restraining from violence against Kosovo’s Acting President and former Prime Minister during their visit in their own country.
“You came to the Serbs to humiliate them, insult them, and to tell the Serbs: this is not yours, this is ours. The Serbs abstained and the reaction was verbal, there was no physical violence, I want to commend them for their restraint,” he said.
Serbian Prime Minister Ana Bernabic said that Kurti and Osmani’s visit was a provocation against Serbs, whom she also congratulated for restraining themselves.
In addition, the two Albanian leaders were also criticized by Kosovo’s parties and the outgoing Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti, and as well as by Kosovo’s Serb List party controlled by Serbia.
Read more: Kosovo Parties Slam Kurti and Osmani’s Visit to Serb-Majority City
