Serbian Defense Minister Condemns Burning Of Flag By Albanian Protesters

Serbian Defense Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic on Tuesday condemned the Albanian protesters who set fire to the Serbian flag during a demonstration against a trilateral economic initiative with North Macedonia within the Open Balkan bloc

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 21st December, 2021) Serbian Defense Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic on Tuesday condemned the Albanian protesters who set fire to the Serbian flag during a demonstration against a trilateral economic initiative with North Macedonia within the Open Balkan bloc.

Earlier on Tuesday, the leaders of Albania, North Macedonia and Serbia signed a trilateral free labor market agreement in the Albanian capital of Tirana. Albanians took to social media to criticize Prime Minister Edi Rama for participating in the Serbian-led regional initiative, which they believe seeks to revive Yugoslavia. On Monday, protesters took down and burned the Serbian flag in one of Tirana's central boulevards.

"The Anti-Serb riots in Tirana were organized by those who want our region back in the era of wars, hatred and concrete borders and bunkers.

The Serbian flag was set on fire by the followers of the long-defeated policies of (former President and Prime Minister) Sali Berisha, and all the others in the region who cannot come to terms with the fact that a new Balkans is being born today, a Balkans of peace, open arms and cooperation," Stefanovic said.

The Open Balkan initiative, intended to foster the free movement of people, money and goods in the region and mirroring the European Union's Schengen Area, has been promoted by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in recent years.

Because of Berisha-led protests in Tirana, the two-day Albania-North Macedonia-Serbia meeting was moved from the Albanian capital to the city of Elbasan. The Albanian police arrested two protesters, while the Albanian prime minister said that those who burned the Serbian flag should be ashamed of the act.