Senior officials in Pristina and Belgrade have strongly condemned an attack on buses carrying ethnic Serb pilgrims to a monastery in eastern Kosovo.
Reports said unknown assailants threw stones at two buses heading to an Orthodox Christian monastery in the village of Studenica on October 21. No injuries were reported.
Kosovar President Hashim Thaci said any violation of the people’s right to freedom of movement and religion was “unacceptable” and called on police to bring the perpetrators to justice.
“Kosovo and its institutions are committed to peace and stability and any kind of attack on citizens is an attack on our joint European values, and as such it is harmful for our republic,” Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj said.
In Belgrade, the head of the Serbian government office for Kosovo, Marko Djuric, said that “Europe must not remain blind and passive when facing the expansion of extremism and religious radicalism in Kosovo.”
The OSCE Mission in Pristina expressed concern over the incident, saying “society as a whole has a responsibility to preserve and uphold the principles of tolerance and good intercommunity relations.”
Ties between Pristina and Belgrade have been tense since Serbia’s former province declared independence in 2008.
The two sides in 2013 committed to EU-mediated talks to resolve their differences, but little progress has been made.
Pristina, Belgrade Condemn Attack On Ethnic Serb Pilgrims In Kosovo
With reporting by Balkan Insight
Editors' Picks
Top Trending
1
Ukrainian Journalist Viktoria Roshchyna Dies In Russian Captivity
2Surviving Russian Prisons And The 'Frightening' Food They Serve
3Russian, Iranian Presidents Meet As War Rages In Middle East
4Tense Times For Ukraine As Pressure Mounts On The Battlefield And Beyond
5FBI's Arrest Of Afghan Underscores Growing Threat Of Islamic State-Khorasan
6Ukraine Live Briefing: Moscow 'Violates All The Rules And Customs Of War'
7The U.S. And Georgia Used To Be Close Friends. But Ahead Of Critical Elections, They're Hardly Speaking.
8Zelenskiy Says Ukrainian Troops Holding On In Kursk After Russian Claims Of Gains
9Ukrainian Media Outlet Says It's Being Pressured By Zelenskiy's Office
10Pakistan's Ban On Prominent Civil Rights Group Will 'Alienate' Pashtun Minority
RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.
If you are in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine and hold a Russian passport or are a stateless person residing permanently in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine, please note that you could face fines or imprisonment for sharing, liking, commenting on, or saving our content, or for contacting us.
To find out more, click here.
