French Ambassador: Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, single form for reconciliation achieved

Dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia is necessary and should develop with a constructive and open spirit, as this is the only form to achieve reconciliation between the two countries and a common future.

So has France's ambassador to Kosovo, Marie Christine Butter, declared during the anniversary ceremony of the November 11, 1918, that ended World War I.

The French Embassy and Germany's Embassy in Kosovo have commemorated this day, visiting the Christian cemetery in Pristina.

Ambassador Butter commemorating the ceasefire and fall of that war said France and Germany at the time found the way to brotherhood and peace.

According to her, friendship between these two countries has made it possible to create a strong, independent and committed Europe to solidarity and protection of human rights.

The rejection of hatred, fear and closure should lead us today to commemorate these events. Our story reminds us that peace is a delicate balance that must be maintained at all times. It presupposes a solid union among the peoples of Europe to overcome the challenges we face today be they climate political or migration. What Germany and France have achieved is an example for the entire war learning region cannot be the holding of one people's anger against another. Dialogue, though long and difficult, is a necessity that needs to be developed in a constructive and open spirit. This is the way Kosovo and Serbia must now follow to achieve reconciliation and be able to build a common future”, she said.

German Ambassador to Kosovo Joern Rohde said that today they commemorate a terrible war that brought great suffering and left nearly 20 million dead.

Rohde said the Germans and the French are friends and partners united in the EU, so as he said it should be hope for other countries that deep divisions can be overcome and overcome, enemies can become friends.

“We stand here together given our common history, which eventually brought together the Germans, French and Europeans. We now know about the power of reconciliation with our former opponents, where every generation like my grandfather and his brothers and sisters fought against France in the two devastating world wars. We as Germans are forever grateful that we could experience reconciliation after the end of the two world wars and horrors of the past century. France, our European partners, American partners and the world turned to Germany for reconciliation, we will never forget that. Germans and French were once bitter opponents and now friends, partners, neighbours, and united in the EU. This should give hope and faith to others in the world, enemies can become friends. Deep divisions can be overcome and exceeded”, Rohde said.

Attending this ceremony along with representatives from the German and French embassies were the chief of the EU Office in Kosovo, Thomas Szuyong and British Ambassador Nicholas Abbott.

On November 11, 1918, Germany signed a ceasefire agreement with Allies in a train car in the Compiegne forest of France.

The wars officially stopped at 11: 00 a.m. on the 11th day of the 11th month, and this day has been honoured every year with a two-minute silence, while the United States has declared November 11th as Day of Veterans.

The first world war officially ended with the signing of the Versailles Treaty on June 28, 1919.