The Presidency of Kosovo has reacted to yesterday’s scandal where the President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osman, was tried to take his personal phone by a member of the security of the Skopje Airport (TAV).
The presidency, through a post on Facebook, has called “unacceptable” the statements of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of North Macedonia.
In the announcement it was said that instead of the MIA of North Macedonia apologizing, they fully justified the request of the airport security to take and scan the president’s personal phone.
“The president has rightly rejected such a thing, based on the advice she has been receiving from the security institutions for years,” the announcement states.
Further, it was said that such a control completely contradicts the rules of dealing with heads of state according to diplomatic practices.
The Presidency has listed some practices that prove the opposite of what was expressed by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of North Macedonia, once again clarifying the situation as a whole.
FULL NOTICE:
The Presidency of the Republic of Kosovo expresses its indignation for the unacceptable statements of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of North Macedonia as well as for the propaganda that is being developed against the Republic of Kosovo in some North Macedonian media regarding the unprecedented incident against President Osmani yesterday at the international airport of Skopje .
Instead of an apology, yesterday and today the Ministry of Internal Affairs of North Macedonia fully justified the request of the airport security to take and scan the personal phone of the President of the Republic of Kosovo, which is also used by the head of state for communications. official for national security issues. The president has rightly rejected such a thing, based on the advice she has been receiving from the security institutions for years. In fact, today the Skopje Airport, as well as the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Macedonia themselves, admitted that the order was given by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of North Macedonia for such a control, which completely contradicts the rules of handling heads of state according to diplomatic practices.
We are once again clarifying the situation as a whole:
- According to international practice and the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, when heads of state travel, they are protected by diplomatic privileges and immunities. This is universally known and so far it has been respected by every country where the President has traveled, including countries that have not recognized Kosovo. The Macedonian side has been officially notified in advance of the President’s trip in accordance with diplomatic practices.
- It is not true that the President refused to scan her handbag. First, the President did not have baggage as propagated in numerous reactions in the media, in North Macedonia. So, it is a lie that she refused to have her luggage checked. She had a personal hand bag which she immediately placed in the scanner, even though the security, according to international convention practices, had no right to request such a thing. The only thing that the President refused to hand over was her phone.
- It is scandalous for anyone to claim that the President allegedly had something suspicious in her purse. Not only is it a big untruth, but this is simultaneously the most serious accusation and the most serious propaganda ever made by the media in North Macedonia in the direction of the Republic of Kosovo. Even more scandalous is today’s statement by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, that perhaps the interior minister of North Macedonia had some information, which led to the request to check the President’s personal bag and phone. This is an unprecedented tendency to denigrate not only the President, but also the state of Kosovo. North Macedonia should take into account that such propaganda is being done against a President, who throughout her mandate has contributed to the deepening of positive relations between Kosovo and North Macedonia.
- It is not true that the private company or the concessionaires of the airport are above the state and above the international conventions which define clear rules for the treatment of the head of state. Pristina Airport is also concessioned and managed by a private company, but we never allow a president of another country to be treated in such an undignified and arrogant manner and to be asked to take his personal phone for placement in the scanners.
- Such a thing is out of practice and contradicts security protocols and international practices, given that the phone of the Head of State is clearly known to be used for official communication, including for security issues. The inspection of the President’s handbag was contrary to these standards, but despite this, she immediately placed the bag in the scanner.
- Even though the Kosovo Police communicated in advance to the Skopje airport officials the applicable rules in such situations, they tried to physically obstruct the President, in which case, in full compliance with the security protocols, the Police reacted professionally Kosovo.
- Yesterday’s situation at the Skopje Airport cannot be explained or evaluated in any other way, except as a pure provocation and a tendency to cause an incident.
- Instead of making excuses and allowing propaganda against the Republic of Kosovo, we ask the official authorities in Skopje to urgently treat the case with high seriousness and to take appropriate measures against the officials who made this attack on the Republic of Kosovo.
- From the USA to other countries in the region, in every trip of the President, the rules of handling the head of state are fully respected and it is NEVER required to touch, let alone submit to the scanner, either the President’s phone or her handbag and not her suitcase (carry on).
- These are rules that every state respects and non-recognising states have also respected them, because the head of state represents the state itself. So Kosovo in this case is not asking for anything other than the norms that are respected everywhere in the world. Any violation of these norms is considered a violation and disrespect to the state itself.
