SkopjeDiem Macedonia in English
Reactions to the incident involving Kosovan President Vjosa Osmani-Sadriu at the Skopje airport on Friday have continued.
Kosovo’s Foreign Ministry sent a note of protest to North Macedonia’s authorities. In it, Minister Donika Gervalla-Schwarz requests a full and urgent explanation.
She also talked to her counterpart, Timco Mucunski, who expressed regret over the misunderstandings during the Kosovan President’s travel.
“The incident will be analysed in cooperation with relevant institutions. After that, measures and activities will be carried out,” he said.
Gervalla-Schwarz also had a meeting with Deputy PM for Good Governance Arben Fetai over the matter. DUI leader Ali Ahmeti condemned the case, apologising to the Kosovan President.
“Distinguished President, I am very sorry for the unacceptable diplomatic incident and scandal at the airport, which I condemn in the fiercest manner possible,” he said.
Criticism also came from DUI’s Bujar Osmani and Artan Grubi. VLEN’s Arben Taravari said the company running the airport, TAV Macedonia, was responsible for security checks.
Parliament Speaker Afrim Gashi confirmed members of his security detail had been involved. However, in his view, they only went there to calm things down.
“I just intervened so that the situations calmed down, so that there was no diplomatic incident. If somebody overstepped their authority, they need to be held liable,” he stressed, adding that there was no need for greater tensions.
Kanal 5 reported that Gashi’s head of security allegedly pulled out a gun and started making threats. SDSM said it had all information, adding that if the Interior Ministry didn’t inform the public about the role of Gashi’s security detail and take action against those who had overstepped authority, it would mean that facts were hidden to protect inter-coalition relations.
The party also said VMRO-DPMNE was protecting “the gunman” part of Gashi’s security detail.
LDP asked in which capacity Gashi’s security detail had reacted. The Kosovan Presidency disagrees with the Interior Ministry’s press release over the case, urging an apology from North Macedonia’s police.
It claimed that there had been an attempt to take away Osmani-Sadriu’s phone and, allegedly, an attempt to physically push her away. In addition, it made accusations about propaganda and non-respect for Kosovo, stressing also that North Macedonia had been previously notified officially about the President’s travel, according to diplomatic practices. After the Presidency’s claims, DUI said VLEN had been caught in a lie.
However, in response, the coalition said DUI was intentionally causing panic among the public, adding that an airport employee who had posted a photo of him and Grubi together on social media in the past had shown up at the place where the incident had taken place. It also asked what his intentions were.
TAV Macedonia rejected allegations, explaining that the Kosovan President had been travelling to Slovenia (via Skopje) and that her phone had to pass the screening process because she hadn’t been paying an official visit. The Democratic Party of Kosovo said the incident represented a continuation of the deterioration of Kosovo’s institutional life.
“The President should urgently explain this incident to the citizens of the Republic of Kosovo and say what was in the bag that, according to Macedonian media, she refused to open,” Betim Gjoshi said on social media.
Criticism came also from former Kosovan President Behgjet Pacolli, who is now the New Kosovo Alliance leader. As he pointed out, the head of the Toronto Pearson International Airport’s security department, with whom he travelled to Italy, confirmed to him that there was no type of immunity that could justify any person travelling by plane avoiding a control procedure.
According to Gazeta Express, a Kosovo-based portal, Kosovan PM Albin Kurti will visit Skopje on 5 August, where he will have a meeting with counterpart Hristijan Mickoski.
However, North Macedonia’s Foreign Ministry said Kurti’s visit was not related to the airport incident, adding it had been agreed three weeks ago.
