Skopje, 2 August 2024 (MIA) – My security staff member went there to defuse the situation. I’ll always try to mitigate, unite and to work together for all the citizens, Parliament Speaker Afrim Gashi said Friday when asked about the Skopje airport incident involving the Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani.

After addressing Friday an event in front of Parliament marking Republic Day, Gashi stressed that anyone who has overstepped their duties should be held accountable adding that laws must be observed. 

“I only intervened so as to defuse the situation and to prevent a diplomatic incident and I think it all ended well. If someone has overstepped their duties, they must be held accountable,” he added. 

Asked what was the purpose of his security staff member traveling to the Skopje airport to prevent a diplomatic scandal, Gashi reiterated the goal was to calm things down. 

Answering a reporter’s question, he said he hadn’t spoken with Kosovo President Osmani after the incident.

Earlier, TAV Macedonia, the operator of the Skopje International Airport, in a statement says it categorically rejects any allegation that its security staff member tried to confiscate the phone of Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani during a screening yesterday at the Skopje airport’s VIP terminal.

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