The US lawmaker Eliot L. Engel condemned the Serbian authorities who did not allow former Kosovo President Atifete Jahjaga to enter in Serbia.
Former President Jahjaga was expected to attend a festival titled "Mirëdita.Dobardan" aimed at encouraging dialogue and improving relations between Kosovo and Serbia.
She was expected to speak on Friday in Belgrade on a book of testimonies of women who had been subjected to torture and rape during the Kosovo war.Engel wrote to European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini on this issue, stressing that Serbia's unwillingness to cope with past crimes is a reason to slow down its EU membership process .
"Te avoid discussing and accepting responsibility for war crimes is a very serious problem for Serbia. If not addressed, this can lead to repeating past behavior. Frankly, Belgrade is simply unwilling to join the EU democracies community if it does not fully accept the past and whether it does not take responsibility for war crimes, " Engel lawmaker wrote.
In his letter, Engel expresses his respect for the EU's work in promoting dialogue, understanding and normalization between Serbia and Kosovo.
Authorities in Kosovo said that stopping the visit of former President Jahjaga to Belgrade was a violation of the Brussels agreement on freedom of movement and that of official visits between the two states.
In the statement is said that this shows clearly that Serbia is not ready to face its past, nor for peace, justice and neighborly relations between the two states.
Serbia continues to oppose Kosovo's independence, but has been involved in a process of negotiating over the normalization of relations in excange of the approachement with the European Union./Oculus News