President Vjosa Osmani reportedly had two additional incidents at Skopje Airport similar to the recent one.
Alsat M reported on Tuesday that it had obtained police reports from Skopje Airport. According to the article, President Osmani had two similar incidents with security in Skopje where she refused to allow the inspection of her personal luggage.
The police reports obtained by Alsat explain that in September of the previous year, the Kosovar side refused to allow the inspection of President Osmani’s luggage, citing her diplomatic immunity. The report from September 16, 2023, states:
“Upon arrival in the VIP sector, a misunderstanding occurred between the person responsible for the delegation’s protocol and the airport security service. The delegation, citing the president’s diplomatic immunity, refused to allow the personal luggage of the President of Kosovo to be scanned.”
The same situation occurred again on October 9. The Kosovar side argued that, due to diplomatic immunity, the president’s luggage should not be inspected, but was informed that such actions could be refused by the flight’s responsible party.
“When they arrived in the VIP sector, the person responsible for the delegation’s security and protocol (on that day was person D.M with identity number 5785) was informed by the Kosovar delegation that they did not agree to the personal luggage of the President of Kosovo being subjected to a scanner check. They based their refusal on the president’s diplomatic immunity. The flight captain and representative of ‘Croatia Airlines’ emphasized that according to international standards and the national security program, if the luggage was not allowed to be inspected, it would not be accepted for boarding,” the report from October 9, 2023, states.
Recently, the police announced the resolution of the August 1 incident and filed a criminal complaint against the head of security for Parliament Speaker Afrim Gashi for compromising security and obstructing an official.
Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, during his visit to Skopje yesterday, said that the case belongs to investigative bodies and should not be a topic of debate, while Macedonian Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski stated that the incident would not affect relations between the two countries.
Today, the office of President Vjosa Osmani reacted, emphasizing that “the President of the Republic of Kosovo has never requested any bypassing or violation of procedures but rather the respect of international rules, as is done worldwide.”
According to Osmani’s office, the handling of the incident in Skopje during the press conference yesterday is regrettable, as it has contributed further to the propaganda against the Republic of Kosovo.
