ACTIVIST CALLS ON SERB AUTHORITIES TO APOLOGISE TO ALBANIANS

PRISTINA, June 9 (Hina) - Serb authorities should apologise to Kosovo Albanians for war crimes "committed during the regime of the former Yugoslav President, Slobodan Milosevic," a Kosovo human rights activist Adem Demaqi, said on Saturday. #L# "Three years have passed and no politician in Serbia has apologised to Albanians in Kosovo for war crimes and bloodshed committed by the Slobodan Milosevic regime for ten years. Belgrade must do such efforts if it sincerely wants the restoration of peace and coexistence of Serbs, Albanians and others in Kosovo, said Demaqi, the head of the Pristina committee for tolerance and coexistence, at a panel held in the southern Serbian town of Presevo. Serbs should accept the fact that "they had to flee Kosovo through the fault of their former authorities," he said adding that Kosovo will be tolerant. We shall work on enabling all Serbs to live freely and enabling those who have no blood on their hands to come back to their homes, he pledged. Demaqi, however, said Serb authorities must ensure the return of 16,000 Albanians to their homes in northern Mitrovica, as this is, in his opinion, a condition for the restoration of normal coexistence of Serbs and ethnic Albanians. (hina) ms