The ambassadors of Germany, Great Britain, the United States of America, Italy, and France to Pristina supported their colleague, the Swiss Ambassador Jean-Hubert Lebet, who recently harshly criticized Kosovo politicians, emphasizing that false veterans should not be paid, while others are still investing in projects that are essential for citizens of Kosovo. Lebet’s colleagues, the ambassadors in Pristina, stated that Lebet said what everyone is thinking.
„Swiss colleague voiced what many think,“ the German ambassador to Pristina, Christian Heldt, tweeted.
“We as the international community are engaged to help. Germany and Switzerland supported water and waste water treatment all over the country since 1999, we’re proud of what our cooperation with Kosovo achieved for people! But then questions are also legitimate on government spending. Not on the principle of pensions, but on the way they are handled. Because we have to explain to our taxpayers why we are doing what we are doing for the benefit of people in Kosovo,” Heldt wrote.
Ambassador of the United Kingdom, Ruairi O’Connell, also shares this view.
“The Swiss Ambassador said what we are all thinking. It’s time for people who love Kosovo to take action against crime and corruption. It is a difficult challenge, not limited to Kosovo. But those who act will have our support,” O’Connell emphasized.
The US Ambassador to Pristina, Philip Kosnett joined his colleagues’ stance by announcing: „We agree.“
While giving full support to the Swiss ambassador, the Italian embassy stated that „crime, corruption and nepotism are the challenges against which people who love Kosovo should take action.“
During the inauguration of the water supply project in Srbica two days ago, Swiss Ambassador to Pristina, Jean-Hubert Lebet said that it is not normal for his government to finance such projects, because Kosovo has this money, but it should not abuse it, while mentioning pensions for the so-called fake veterans of the KLA.
He emphasized that the value of this water supply project amounts to 2.5 % of the value of the fund allocated to veterans’ pensions, on the other hand, according to Lebet, there are many false veterans who are receiving unearned pensions.
The Kosovo public harshly reacted to Lebet’s statement.
The deputy head of the KLA Organization of War Veterans, Nasim Haradinaj said that „this is his political gaffe,“ Pristina-based Gazeta Express reported.
„He is not the first politician to make a gaffe… Others also made gaffes,“ he said.
„But he did it in an offensive way, 60,000 veterans are not frauds. They are frauds because they were put on the list. He chose an unfortunate moment for them. He could have said other things, instead of interfering with the most sensitive issues. I hope he will talk about the Serbian criminals when he goes to Gracanica,“ Haradinaj told Klan Kosova.
The Vice-President of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo and Minister of Infrastructure in Ramush Haradinaj’s government, Pal Lekaj said last night that, if it were up to him, he would immediately order the ambassador’s departure from Kosovo.
This triggered an intense reaction and demands for Lekaj’s resignation or dismissal, while Pristina philosopher and advisor to the president of the Assembly of Kosovo, Blerim Latifi urged Prime Minister Haradinaj to „twist the arms of the men“ because they are „giving a bad name“ to both the Prime Minister and Kosovo, and that the Swiss ambassador is telling the truth, Beta news agency reported.
Lekaj, in the meantime, met with the Swiss ambassador and explained that his statement was taken out of context and that he did not say that he ordered the departure of the ambassador from Kosovo, Pristina-based Koha reported.
Preuzimanje i objavljivanje tekstova sa portala KoSSev nije dozvoljeno bez navođenja izvora. Hvala na poštovanju etike novinarske profesije.
