The prime minister of Kosovo, Avdullah Hoti expressed “a very deep disappointment” on the latest statements made by high Serbia’s officials, stating that they openly continue to show a deep lack of respect for the war victims in Kosovo.
A video published last week shows Serbia’s Foreign minister, Ivica Dacic saying “what do we do with some Serbs who tell Croats and Albanians where their missing conationals are buried across Serbia, and similar stupidities?”.
This statement was seen by Kosovo officials as a threat to Serbs who disclose locations of mass graves where Albanians and Croats were buried by the Serbian troops.
Kosovo’s Speaker of Parliament Vjosa Osmani, said that the leadership of Serbia hasn’t changed since the times of Milosevic.
After Dacic’s statement sparked reactions, the Serb minister of Defense, Aleksandar Vulin issued an official statement in which he refers to Kosovo Albanians with a pejorative term.
Vulin constantly referred to Albanians as “Shiptari” which is used as insulting. The Serbian term for Albanians is “Albanac”.
Hoti called the statements scandalous, adding that they prove that Belgrade has deliberately and consciously covered up the war crimes traces, “by hiding the location of the mass graves”.
Prime minister Hoti, wrote on Facebook that the Government of Kosovo opposes this political mentality and expects the same from the international community, especially the European Union and the United States of America.
Serbia’s minister, Vulin stated on Monday that despite the complaints of Kosovo officials, he will continue using the word “shiptar”.
“When they throw the word ‘Shiptar’ out of their language, whatever they start calling themselves, I will call them that,” Vulin is quoted in the statement issued by the Ministry of Defense of Serbia.
