President of the Republic of Kosovo, Mrs. Atifete Jahjaga, received today at a meeting a delegation of the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, lead by Mr. Ariel Dulitzky, currently on a missing persons fact finding mission in Kosovo and the Balkan region.
Stating that for over 15 years, since the end of the war, Kosovo has continued to face its gravest issue, the unknown fate of over 1700 of its missing citizens, President Jahjaga emphasized the necessity for the ascertainment of the fate of all missing individuals, in order for the healing of a severe wound of our society to take place and that the families might find their peace. She also said that ascertaining their fate will also establish peace and stability in the whole Balkan region and will help create the conditions for building of trust and reconciliation among people.
President Jahjaga said that Kosovo has shown constructivism in the missing persons issue and pointed out that international community must request that Serbian authorities increase the level of cooperation aiming the ascertainment of the fate of all missing individuals. President Jahjaga said that in parallel to the ascertainment of their fates, justice must also be served for all the families of missing individuals.
Chair of the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, Mr. Ariel Dulitzky, informed President Jahjaga with the aim of this fact finding mission, which is to become closely familiarized with the issue of missing persons in the Balkan region, as well as with the challenges faced by the countries with missing citizens, resulting from armed conflicts. He stated that it is the position of the UN that the fate of all missing people, not only in Kosovo but also in other countries of the region which have gone through armed conflicts, is found out as soon as possible, that the justice is delivered and that victims and their families are cared for by the society.