President of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani has strongly condemned the anti-Albanian chants heard during the basketball match between North Macedonia and Romania, held in Kumanovo.
In a public statement, President Osmani stressed that these hateful chants, made in the presence of senior North Macedonian officials, represent a direct attack on the spirit of coexistence and mutual respect that the region must uphold.
“The anti-Albanian chants heard during the game in Kumanovo are unacceptable and undermine the spirit of coexistence and mutual respect, which must be the foundation of any democratic society with European aspirations. Albanians are an indigenous people on their lands and deserve to be treated with dignity and equality, just like any other community,” Osmani stated.
She added that what is even more troubling is the lack of any reaction from top officials in Skopje, including Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski, despite the open calls for violence against Albanians.
“Even more concerning is the fact that the country’s highest officials in Skopje failed to react to this hateful and exclusionary language, leaving space for rhetoric that undermines interethnic tolerance and the harmony that the country claims to build on its path toward the European family,” the statement reads.
President Osmani emphasized that sports must be a tool for unity, not a platform for dark ideologies that revive painful memories and threaten peace.
“We call on the institutions of North Macedonia to take immediate measures against the organizers of these chants, those responsible, and anyone inciting and spreading hate speech, and to firmly condemn every form of hate language. Protecting the principles of coexistence and tolerance must be fundamental values for any state aspiring to join the EU,” she declared.
Finally, Osmani reaffirmed that Kosovo will firmly defend the dignity of Albanians wherever they live.
During the match, chants such as “A good Albanian is a dead Albanian,” “Gas chambers for Albanians,” and “Pure Macedonia” were reportedly heard, sparking widespread outrage.
