"We will seek clarification from UEFA, shameful, unacceptable and condemnable act" - Minister Çeku speaks about the removal of the flag in Belgrade

The Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports (MKYS), Hajrulla Çeku, has reacted regarding the removal of the Kosovo flag at the UEFA congress held in Belgrade.

Minister Çeku says the removal of the flag of the Republic of Kosovo at the UEFA Congress in Belgrade is a shameful, unacceptable and condemnable act.

He further added that he expects clarification from UEFA regarding the case, as this is an attack on the state of Kosovo, while calling for such congresses to no longer be organized in Belgrade.

"The removal of the flag of the Republic of Kosovo at the UEFA Congress in Belgrade is a shameful, unacceptable and condemnable act. Kosovo is an independent state, represented in the world through state symbols. The Football Federation of Kosovo is a full member of UEFA."

"The removal of symbols is a direct attack on the state integrity of Kosovo and as such cannot go without a genuine international reaction."

"We expect clarifications from UEFA and effective actions to address responsibility for this violation of their internal rules and this attack on the state of Kosovo."

"We strongly condemn the language used by the Federation of Serbia in their statement, which unfortunately, with full awareness, accepts to be instrumentalized by Serbian chauvinist politics."

"The Serbian state has not changed, it is the same one that committed massacres and genocide a few decades ago. Neither then nor today, it has spared sport. For this reason, we ask the European and world sports federations not to organize sports events in Serbia as long as it does not change its approach in relation to Kosovo's participation," Minister Çeku's reaction states.

Likewise, Minister Çeku, in a statement to "Kanal10", added that the state has previously instructed all sports federations in Kosovo to abandon or withdraw from any sports activity - whatever they are - if our country is not treated the same as participants from other countries.

"We have a policy that we have communicated to all federations. Wherever sporting events take place in the world, participation should only take place with our state symbols. Without symbols, there is no participation. The removal of symbols means the removal of Kosovo athletes," he declared.

At the UEFA Congress, the FFK representatives were President Agim Ademi and Acting Secretary, Markus Weidner. /Telegraph/