Simić: For years we were denied the right to use the flag; the call by the EU, the Quint and EULEX is encouraging

The Serb List official Igor Simić said he was encouraged by the call from the EU, the Quint countries and EULEX to the authorities in Pristina, reminding them that the use of the symbols and flags of communities in Kosovo is a right protected by the constitution and the law. He also called on his compatriots to use the flag in an appropriate manner so that its use would not again be denied under various pretexts.

“After several years during which our people were denied the right to use the national flag in Kosovo and Metohija, especially in the north, I am pleased by the call made by the Quint countries, the European Union and EULEX to Pristina to respect its own laws and the rights of the Serbian people regarding identity,” Simić wrote on Instagram.

He called on his compatriots to express their use of the flag and their love for it in an appropriate and dignified manner.

“And by doing so, let us not give anyone a reason to once again deny us the use of the flag under various pretexts,” Simić said.

The European Union, the Quint countries and EULEX sent a letter to the authorities in Pristina reminding them that the use of the symbols and flags of communities in Kosovo is a right protected by the constitutional and legal framework, and calling for its consistent and non-discriminatory application.

The letter, signed by the Acting Head of the European Union Office in Kosovo, Eva Palatova, the ambassadors of France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom, the Chargé d’Affaires of the United States Embassy, and the Head of the EULEX Mission, states that the constitutional and legal framework protects the right of all communities to preserve, express and develop their identity, including through the use and display of symbols and flags.

The letter from the EU, EULEX and the Quint countries was sent to the Kosovo authorities ahead of June 28, when Serbs mark Vidovdan, one of their most important religious and national holidays.