Mijacic: We are waiting for an apology from the French Ambassador; that would be a civilized gesture

The Coordinator of the National Convention on the EU for Chapter 35, Dragisa Mijacic, stated that an apology from the French Embassy, which had initiated the removal of the monument, would be a civilized gesture for what they had done after the monument to fallen Serbian soldiers had been returned to the Pristina cemetery.

"They immediately realized they made a mistake, and after a week, they issued a statement saying they would consider the technical possibilities for the return of the memorial plaque, but public pressure did not stop. The public pressure provided an additional impetus for the French Ambassador to Kosovo, Olivier Guerot, to decide to return the monument, which happened today", Mijacic said for Kosovo Online.

He recalls that there was also a petition for the return of the memorial plaque signed by more than 4,000 people.

"We had a petition signed by more than 4,000 people, numerous public figures reacted, professors, journalists, an Italian general, and a French colonel spoke out on the matter, and in the end, they returned the memorial plaque", Mijacic says.

When asked whether he expected an apology from the French Ambassador in Pristina now, he noted that it would represent a civilized gesture.

"We are waiting for a statement from the French Embassy, and I really think that an apology would be a civilized gesture for something they have done. I believe that the Ambassador's apology should exist formally, not just in terms of returning the monument and acknowledging the mistake through the act of returning the monument", Mijacic says.