Kosovo president cancels US visit over war crimes indictment

Kosovo’s President Hashim Thaçi will not visit the United States over charges of crimes against humanity and war crimes in The Hague court.

The announcement was made Wednesday by Richard Grenell, the special presidential envoy for Serbia and Kosovo peace negotiations.

“The president of Kosovo has just informed us that he has canceled his trip to Washington, DC following the announcement made by the Special Prosecutors Office,” Grenell wrote on Twitter. “I respect his decision not to attend the discussions until the legal issues of those allegations are settled.”

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Kosovo began its push for independence from Serbia in early 1990s but only achieved that goal after enduring a decades-long ethnic cleansing.

Despite the announcement, Kosovo’s Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti and Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vučić are set to hold a meeting on Saturday.

“We look forward to Saturday’s discussions which will be led by President Vucic and Prime Minister Hoti,” Grenell tweeted.

The Hague unveiled an indictment against Thaçi earlier in the day, long after it had been filed back in April.

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“Mr. Thaçi and Mr. Veseli are believed to have carried out a secret campaign to overturn the law creating the Court and otherwise obstruct the work of the Court in an attempt to ensure that they do not face justice,” the court said in a statement. “By taking these actions, Mr. Thaçi and Mr. Veseli have put their personal interests ahead of the victims of their crimes, the rule of law, and all people of Kosovo.”

Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, after fighting a war in 1998-1999 that ended with a NATO intervention. Serbia, which refuses to accept its former southern province as an independent state, has so far blocked it from joining the United Nations (UN) and other international bodies.

Kosovo is, however, recognized by many countries as an independent state, including the United States and most members of the EU.

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