Symbolic protest in Pristina after Lajcak’s map depicting Kosovo as part of Serbia

English

Gazeta Express

26/02/2021 14:53

The Social Democratic Party (PSD) held a symbolic action in front of the EU Office in Kosovo, where it placed the map of the state of Kosovo. The action comes two days after the EU special envoy for the Dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak appeared in an interview, during which a map depicting Kosovo as part of Serbia is seen.

Frasher Krasniqi from the PSD said that “Kosovo cannot accept any solution that makes the state dysfunctional.”  “As you may know, there is only one map that depicts Kosovo as part of Serbia, and that map belongs to Serbia,” he said. “For us it is surprising that Lajcak is using the same map. This kind of reference does not seem to be unintentional. The border between Kosovo and Serbia is administrative one. It is worrying that the incoming Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, who had allegedly resigned because of ‘knives on (Kosovo) maps in America’ is not reacting now when Kosovo is being considered as part of Serbia. We are here to show Lajcak that Kosovo is an independent state. We consider that Lajcak is taking the side of Serbia within Kosovo in solving (establishing) the Association of Serb Municipalities. For us, the first signs that the incoming Government has called for friendship with Lajcak are unacceptable.”

Kosovo media and politicians have criticized Lacjak for giving an interview while sitting in front of a map depicting Kosovo as part of Serbia. Following reactions in Pristina Lajcak has reacted saying that the map depicts the line separating Kosovo from Serbia. “As the map in my office in the blurred screenshot of my interview has caused some misperceptions today, I am sharing an actual close-up photo of it. It is an official EU map of the Western Balkans. Kosovo is there and so is the line separating Kosovo from Serbia,” Lajcak wrote on Twitter. /GazetaExpress/