The US believes that indictment proposal for Kosovo politicians charged of war crimes is a step toward justice and the reconciliation in the Western Balkans, the State Department said in a statement on Thursday, the KoSSev website reported.
On Wednesday, the Special Prosecutor Office for Kosovo based in The Hague wrote a 10-point charges against President Hashim Thaci and Kadri Veseli, former Parliament speaker, and sent it to the Specialised Chambers of Kosovo for confirmation and to the pre-trial judge for approval.
Washington said the step was necessary to improve the rule of law, secure justice for victims and enable the country to move away from that horrible period and join the Euro-Atlantic community.
However, the news is likely to cancel a meeting at the White House, due on June 27, organised by the US President Donald Trump’s special envoy for the Belgarde – Pristina dialogue on the normalisation of relations Richard Grenell, between Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic and Thaci.
Thaci on Wednesday decided to go back to Pristina and not to take part in the Washington meeting.
On Thursday, Kosovo’s Prime Minister Avdulah Hoti also chose not to go to the US, despite Grenell’s statement he expected him in Washington.
Due to the new developments in Prishtina as a result of the indictment submitted by the Specialized Prosecutor's Office, I have to return to my country to deal with the situation.
I informed Ambassador Grenell that I could not attend the June 27 meeting at the White House.— Avdullah Hoti (@Avdullah) June 25, 2020
The Voice of America (VOA), said the US called on Specialised Chambers of Kosovo and the Special Prosecutors Office to stick to their mandate while the cases go through the judicial system, adding that the process behind those indictments lasted 20 years.
