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| Peter Handke |
"Being deeply convinced that justifying and praising war crimes is an obstacle to the spirit of reconciliation that must prevail in the region, we have ordered Albania's ambassador to Sweden to boycott the solemn ceremony of awarding the Nobel Prize for Literature to Peter Handke.", Writes Cakaj on Twitter.
He points out that any reward for personalities who have denied genocide even through their literary works only strengthens the tendency to evade historical responsibilities and, in his view, relativizes the heavy burden of war crimes, ethnic cleansing and genocide.
"Albania will boycott the official award ceremony of the Nobel Prize for Literature. Our commitment, meanwhile, will continue to promote good neighborly relations based on the inalienable values of truth and in line with the highest demands of justice." highlights Cakaj.
As Austrian Peter Handke won the Nobel Prize for Literature this year, there has been a backlash in Kosovo, Albania and elsewhere.
We recall that the Republic of Kosovo will not participate in this year's Nobel Prize-giving ceremony
Who is Peter Handke?
Austrian writer Handke was born in 1942 in the village of Griffen in the Karnten region of southern Austria. From 1961 he studied law at the University of Graz. But he discontinued his studies a few years later when he published the novel, Die hornissen, in 1966.
Handkes's selection of the Nobel Prize in Literature for 2019 has prompted reactions in the region and beyond.
Handke, who was a big admirer of Milosevic, wrote in a post published during the Kosovo war: "If you support the Serbs, stand up."
The Austrian author stated that he never believes that Serbs committed genocide in Srebrenica.
He had also visited Milosevic in prison and tried to testify in his favor.
Handke also attended Milosevic's burial in 2006, in which he said: "I am here for Yugoslavia, Serbia, Slobodan Milosevic."