The trial against former KLA leaders in The Hague, Spiropali: Justice must not be blind to Kosovo's historical reality

Albania, Spiropali said, will remain a strong voice for Kosovo's right, for its international integration and for the dignity of its state, because the stability of the region passes through a strong, recognised and integrated Kosovo into Euro-Atlantic structures.

“Albania is and will remain committed to international justice. But international justice is not an abstract concept. It is measured by the standard of equality, with its consistency and the ability not to turn into an instrument of unilateral historical readings. The Kosovo war was not a conflict for power. It was a struggle for survival and freedom, after a long period of systematic depression. This is an internationally documented historical fact. For this reason, any judicial process related to that period should be carried out with full awareness of the context, for the disproportion of force, and for the reality of crimes committed against the civilian population”, Spiropali said.

Spiropal stressed that justice cannot function with double standards, it cannot create the perception that victims and aggressors are placed in the same moral and historical plan.

 “Albania will dignifiedly defend Kosovo's historic truth. It will protect the principle that justice should be impartial but not blind to reality. And it will stay close to any process that guarantees high standards of law, transparency and equal treatment. For without justice, there is no lasting reconciliation. And without real history, there is no lasting peace in the region”, the foreign minister said.