President Osmani reacts after anti-Albanian chants at the North Macedonia-Romania match
Anti-Albanian chants heard during the match in Kumanovo are unacceptable and undermine the spirit of coexistence and mutual respect, which should be the foundation of any democratic society with European aspirations, said the President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, in a statement on Monday, August 4.
She emphasized that Albanians are an autochthonous people on their lands and deserve to be treated with dignity and equality, just like any other community.
“Even more concerning is the fact that the highest state officials in Skopje have not reacted to this hateful and exclusionary language, leaving space for rhetoric that undermines interethnic tolerance and the harmony the country aims to build on its path toward the European family,” Osmani stated.
She said that sport should be a tool for unity, not a platform for dark ideologies that evoke painful memories and threaten peace.
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“We call on the institutions of North Macedonia to take immediate measures against the organizers of these chants, those responsible, and those who incite and spread hatred—by condemning all forms of hate speech and upholding the principles of coexistence and tolerance as core values of a state that aspires to join the EU,” said the head of state, emphasizing that “The Republic of Kosovo will firmly defend the dignity of Albanians, wherever they live.”
Racist chants against Albanians were heard over the weekend during a basketball match between North Macedonia and Romania.
/KosovaPress