Kosovo’s President Office has accused the authorities of North Macedonia of violating international practices and the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, stating that on August 1, President Vjosa Osmani was subjected to an attempt to confiscate her personal phone by a security member at Skopje Airport (TAV).

“The President did not allow this, as it would have been a serious violation,” said Osmani’s political advisor, Bekim Kupina.

The Macedonian authorities have denied these accusations from the Kosovo Presidency but said that they have initiated an investigation into the incident.

TAV company stated that the security department, as part of its responsibilities, carried out standard security checks.

The incident occurred before Osmani’s planned trip to Slovenia, and the Kosovo Presidency has not disclosed whether her trip was official or private.

Presidency: Such behaviour and events have not occurred on any other trip

Bekim Kupina said that despite being informed about diplomatic rules, “security physically tried to push the president, which forced the Kosovo Police to intervene to clear the way”.

“This behaviour by the Macedonian airport official contradicts every international practice, according to which heads of state are protected with diplomatic privileges and immunities when they travel. Contrary to these rules, the Macedonian side confiscated the President’s personal hand bag,” Kupina said.

The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, among other things, protects the diplomatic status, privileges, and immunities of heads of state and their staff members in the territory of other states. According to this convention, during travel, individuals with diplomatic status and their staff should be allowed free movement.

“Contrary to these rules, the Macedonian side confiscated the President’s personal hand bag. Although this was against the rules, the President’s team allowed it so that the President could enter the airport, specifically the VIP lounge, which was reserved with a verbal note from our Embassy, as is the practice for state leaders’ travels. However, for security reasons, the personal phone was not handed over.”

According to him, such behaviour and events have not occurred on any of Osmani’s trips, including in non-recognising states.

“The Presidency considers any attack and improper treatment, contrary to international conventions, of senior state officials as an attack on the state of Kosovo itself,” Kupina said.

“It is worth mentioning that after the President entered the plane, Skopje Airport did not allow the commercial plane to depart for over an hour, on the pretext that the Slovenian state was not permitting the departure because it would not be ready for landing. The President’s cabinet contacted the Slovenian side, who informed us that this was absolutely untrue and that the plane could land at the scheduled time,” Kupina said.

“It is clear that in this case, there was a tendency to provoke the delegation of the Republic of Kosovo and to cause an incident,” he said, adding that the Speaker of the North Macedonian Assembly, Afrim Gashi, had been informed about this incident, “whom we thank for his assistance”.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora of Kosovo said that it has been informed about the “undignified treatment of the President of the Republic of Kosovo” at Skopje Airport.

Skopje says it is conducting investigations

However, the Ministry of Interior of North Macedonia said in a statement that while Osmani was passing through border control, when she was asked to leave her phone to pass through the scanner, “a security member of hers was pulled back by an airport employee, with the intention that she would pass without her phone being scanned and her hand luggage”.

“Later, the luggage was returned and passed through a scanner. After half an hour, a security person from the Assembly’s Speaker, Afrim Gashi, [a police officer] arrived with two other persons [police officers] and started threatening the airport workers and asking who had caused problems for the President,” the statement said.

The Ministry said it is conducting investigations into what happened.

Gashi’s cabinet stated that his security (employees of the Ministry of Interior) intervened to calm the situation and assist their colleagues in implementing security procedures during the visit of VIP persons.

TAV company said in a statement that “as an airport operator, it has a legal obligation to carry out a security check on all passengers, luggage, and goods on flights from Skopje International Airport and Ohrid Airport, including those travelling through the VIP lounge”.

“Therefore, TAV’s security department, as part of its responsibilities, carried out standard security checks on the mentioned passenger and his luggage at the security checkpoint in the VIP lounge, to ensure the specific commercial flight.”

Former North Macedonian Foreign Minister, Bujar Osmani, reacted to this event, condemning the “unacceptable actions” that occurred in Skopje.

“This incident clearly shows the incapacity and irresponsibility of illegal Albanian representatives in the government,” he wrote on Facebook.

The Alliance for Albanians strongly condemned the “serious provocation against the Republic of Kosovo, through the scandalous behaviour of Skopje Airport officials” towards President Osmani.

Kosovo and North Macedonia have diplomatic relations and until now have not had incidents of this nature.