Zaev agrees with Haradinaj's request for international investigation into Kumanovo case

Zaev, after meeting with Haradinaj in Pristina today in the morning hours, has declared that citizens should know “full truth” about the armed incident in Kumanovo, which had occurred in May 2015.

“We hold common ground that there should be an international investigation or that international representatives will be sent, who will confront all elements and provide answers to questions deserving of citizens of the Republic of Kosovo and Republic of Macedonia”, he stressed.

“We, absolutely view this issue as something that does not dare be an obstacle to the progress of co-operation. We are convinced that in the interest of opinion and in what the need of our citizens needs, we will work in order for citizens to know the full truth about this case, which is known to have ended dramatically in Macedonia, where police officers” have been killed, the head of the Government of Macedonia has added.

In the armed incident in Kumanovo, on 9 May and 10 May 2015, eight members of Macedonian police forces and 10 members of the armed group, including Albanians from Kosovo, had been killed.

The court in Skopje last month sentenced the 33 members of the Kumanovo Group to 746 years in prison. 7 life sentences, 13 people were sentenced to 40 years in prison, 6 persons 20 years in prison, one of the accused was sentenced to 18 years, two to 14 years, and two to 13 years.

On Tuesday, after meeting with Zaev, Prime Minister Haradinaj has not commented on the issue at all, adding “I have nothing to add”.

But a reaction had taken place on November 3rd on the day when the Kumanovo Group was sentenced to over 7 centuries in prison.

“We have carefully conveyed and carefully added attention to the process following the tragic events in Kumanovo in May 2015 and the sentences pronounced by the Court in Skopje. Justice must be put in place, starting from the full dawn of the event with all its dimensions. An international investigation would help clear up the whole truth we're all trying to do”, Haradinaj had said.

Zaev's visit, meanwhile, has changed to a positive spirit on other issues. Zaev has stressed that both countries -- Macedonia and Kosovo -- will support each other on the road to Euro-Atlantic integration.

Haradinaj has estimated that Kosovo and Macedonia link the two countries' Euro-Atlantic orientation.

“On this visit today we have been able to help our relations, namely, between Kosovo and Macedonia progress. They're good, but progress. Today we have received many obligations that I believe we will have the chance to finalise in the future even at joint meetings of the two governments -- that is, the Republic of Kosovo and the Republic of Macedonia -- in the interest of the citizens of our two countries”, Prime Minister Haradinaj has said.

Zaev has added that at the meeting with Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj, they have been negotiating joint projects for advancing communication between the two states, Kosovo and Macedonia. As Zaev has stressed, the two countries have signed 19 bilateral agreements and 16 other documents, as well as are expected to sign 21 other agreements, with interest for citizens of both countries.

Government of Macedonia head has also talked about Kosovo membership issue in U NESTO.

Kosovo needs Macedonia's support in all these processes. But, at the same time, you know that the Republic of Serbia is also our neighbor. So, in the context of good neighborhoods with all countries, we hope that the solution to the issues will be bilateral. We will only be here to assist the process between the two countries”, Zaev said.