Plenkovic, Rama Condemn Killing of Officer, Belgrade Holding Day of Mourning, Demand Measures against Serbia

Zagreb (BetaPhoto/Emil Vas)

Speaking in Zagreb on Oct. 2, the prime ministers of Croatia and Albania, Andrej Plenkovic and Edi Rama, strongly condemned the killing of a Kosovo police officer in the village of Banjska, Kosovo, denounced Belgrade declaring a day of mourning for the attackers' deaths and asked the European Union to introduce measures against Serbia.

Plenkovic said that, considering how heavily equipped the armed group was, it was clear that this was a pre-planned undertaking and that this "serious incident is a signal that there are forces that want to destabilize the situation in Kosovo and South East Europe, and relations between Kosovo and Serbia."

Plenkovic told a joint news conference with Rama that the response of the international community should be "clear and firm," and added that it should "support Kosovo institutions, because this is Kosovo's territory, and do its utmost to prevent any escalation."

"We think a move such as this cannot remain unanswered. We feel calling a day of mourning for three de facto terrorists, who killed a Kosovo police officer, was an unacceptable action. We are not at all pleased that such a political move was made, one that almost represents identification with what they did," said Plenkovic, voicing the conviction that proposals of measures would follow in the coming days, after thorough analysis.

Rama decried as unacceptable and unjustified the crime of killing a police officer and the glorification of those who committed that crime, and said measures should be taken without delay, because this was a matter of the "fate of a process that demands a clear and right stand."