Kosovo Assembly President, Kadri Veseli, has welcomed President Hashim Thaci’s initiative to establish the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. At the first consultative meeting, Veseli said Kosovo’s institutions are proving their readiness to shed light on the past, face its truths and help heal the wounds of the past. “Our people paid a very high price for freedom and independence. The wounds were deep and unfortunately they have not healed yet. Years go by and we still don’t know about the fate of thousands of Kosovo citizens. Hundreds of Kosovar families live in sorrow about their missing loved ones. There are missing persons from all communities, but the majority of them are Albanians,” he said. Veseli also said that Serbia has kept silent and failed to bring to justice those responsible for dozens of massacres in Kosovo. “There are thousands of innocent victims, and justice has yet to be served. Dozens of massacres were carried out during the war and no one has been held responsible. The Serbian state keeps silent about these massacres and does not distance itself from the propaganda that denies that crimes in Kosovo were committed by Milosevic’s army and police”. Veseli called on Kosovo institutions to do their best in collecting evidences about war crimes. “As state institutions, we need to provide all the necessary assistance so that this committee can be successful in its mission of collecting facts and evidences about the crimes that were committed. As such, the committee is not a substitute for justice but rather in the service of justice. Justice is the only way to set the past aside and to have reconciliation. There can be no reconciliation without assuming responsible. There can be no reconciliation without apologies”.