The Acting President of the Republic of Kosovo, Albulena Haxhiu, has reacted to recent statements by Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and Serbian Parliament Speaker Ana Brnabić, saying that they continue to deny Kosovo’s statehood and revive Serbia’s territorial claims.
In a statement published on Facebook, Haxhiu said that while the people of Kosovo are still awaiting clarification of the fate of those forcibly disappeared during the war, Serbian officials continue to use rhetoric that, according to her, stems from the policies of Slobodan Milošević’s regime.
“While the citizens of Kosovo continue to await the clarification of the fate of those forcibly disappeared by Milošević’s regime, Vučić and Brnabić continue with statements that deny Kosovo’s statehood and revive Serbia’s claims over our territory. These statements represent a continuation of the language of denial, hatred, and propaganda upon which the chauvinistic and expansionist policies of Milošević’s regime were built,” Haxhiu wrote.
She added that Serbia cannot claim to be committed to peace and normalization while failing to open archives related to missing persons, refusing to cooperate in addressing wartime crimes, and continuing to treat Kosovo as its territory.
“Confronting the past and respecting the sovereignty of neighboring states are fundamental conditions for lasting peace in the region,” Haxhiu stated.
She emphasized that, according to her, the facts regarding Kosovo’s status are undeniable.
“The Republic of Kosovo has been an independent state since February 17, 2008. In 2010, the International Court of Justice confirmed that Kosovo’s declaration of independence did not violate international law. Kosovo has been recognized by 121 states, is a member of numerous international organizations and mechanisms, and continues to strengthen its international position. This reality cannot be undone by political statements,” she said.
Haxhiu called on the United States and the European Union to clearly condemn what she described as “chauvinistic, revisionist, and inflammatory rhetoric.”
“Territorial claims against a neighboring state and rhetoric that repeats the narratives of Milošević’s regime have no place in 21st-century Europe and should not be treated as ordinary political statements,” Haxhiu said.
She concluded by stating that Kosovo is a sovereign and democratic state, built on the will of its citizens and committed to Euro-Atlantic integration.
“Neither Vučić, nor Brnabić, nor any failed ideology of the past can undo this reality,” she said.
