Former Foreign Minister Ditmir Bushati has reacted after the funeral ceremony of Ratko Mladic in Belgrade, describing it as an event that goes beyond a funeral and which, according to him, proves a well-organized policy of Serbia.
Bushati emphasizes that the participation of thousands of people, the state honors and the presence of veterans of the Army of Republika Srpska, who came organized from Banja Luka, show that the ceremony was not a spontaneous reaction.
"Thousands of people at the funeral ceremony of Ratko Mladic, accompanied by state honors and the participation of veterans of the Army of Republika Srpska, who arrived in Belgrade in an organized manner from Banja Luka, proves that this event exceeded the limits of a funeral," Bushati writes.
According to him, the issue is not only related to the figure of Mladic, but to the policy that Serbia has pursued over the years and the way it has been treated by the European Union.
Bushati criticizes the EU for what he calls "turning a blind eye and tolerating" Serbia, arguing that for years Brussels has prioritized stability in the region, instead of genuine democratization.
"Therefore, today I cannot treat the organization of a state ceremony for a war criminal as an isolated episode, but as a direct consequence of a wrong policy," the former minister said.
He describes the ceremony as a "prepared and synchronized performance", where, according to him, the state, the army and the church acted in the same direction to glorify Mladic.
"Each of these institutions had its own clear role in a scenario aimed at rehabilitating the policies of the '90s and officially legitimizing what has been built in the shadows for years," Bushati writes.
In his reaction, Bushati calls on the countries of the region, including Albania, to build relations with Serbia on clear principles of reconciliation and distancing from the past of war crimes and genocide.
"Today, the international community is not facing any surprises, but is simply reaping the fruits of opportunism and the policy of concessions towards Serbia," Bushati concludes.