Jua Hiang Responds For Martti Ahtisaari
Ahtisaari spokesperson replies to criticisms
30 August 2006 09:37 -> 12:34 Source: B92, Večernje novosti
BELGRADE -- Hua Jiang has responded to Belgrade’s reactions regarding the recent remarks of Martti Ahtisaari.Over the last week, Belgrade officials, led by Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica, have been denouncing the UN Special Envoy’s statement that the Serbian people are to blame for the Kosovo crisis, because of their historical legacy and the actions of the Milošević regime.Political leaders in Serbia are mulling over an initiative to have Ahtisaari replaced as the UN’s Special Envoy for the Kosovo status discussions because of what Belgrade calls, Ahtisaari’s strong prejudices which he holds against the Serbian people. Ahtisaari’s chief spokesperson, Hua Jiang, responded to the accusations today. “The remarks in question were mis-presented and taken out of context: the Special Envoy never referred to “the collective guilt” of the Serbia nation. He noted, in response to a remark by a member of the Serbian Delegation on the August 8 that every nation had its own burden to bear and had to live and deal with its past.” Jiang said. “The remarks were subsequently made public with mis-presentation. The Special Envoy, during his visit to Priština, repeated and elaborated the remarks by saying that while today’s democratic leadership in Serbia cannot be held accountable for the policies and actions of the Milošević regime, leaders in Belgrade must come to terms with its legacy and have important responsibilities in this respect.” she said. Jiang said that Ahtisaari said that the historic legacy cannot be simply ignored but must be taken into account in the search of the resolution of the status question. “The Special Envoy has always held the view that the status process is about creating conditions for all communities, including the Serb community, to live a decent life in Kosovo. To that end, the Special Envoy will continue to concentrate on the substance of the negotiations instead of engaging in polemics.” Jiang said. Drašković calls for historical research
