Handke

Austrian writer Peter Handke, winner of this year's Nobel Prize for literature, confirmed on Thursday evening that he was given a Yugoslav passport in 1999 when the country was under the rule of Slobodan Milosevic.

"I don't have Yugoslav citizenship, I just got passport to travel", Handke told "Vecernje Novosti".

The decision to award this year's Nobel Prize for literature to Austrian author Peter Handke, alongside Polish novelist Olga Tokarczuk, has sparked angry reactions because of Handke's past support for Slobodan Milosevic's regime.

Kosovo's ambassador to the United States, Vlora Citaku, described the decision as "preposterous and shameful".

Polish novelist Olga Tokarczuk and Austrian writer Peter Handke won the 2018 and 2019 Nobel Prizes for literature on Oct. 10 after a year's hiatus in awarding the prize due to sex abuse allegations that rocked the secretive Swedish Academy, which selects the laureates.

Austrian writer and humanitarian Peter Handke was presented with the Charter of Honorary Citizen Of Belgrade by Mayor Sinisa Mali on Thursday.

Mali said during the ceremony the charter was "a stamp on the friendship of a city and a man, a writer and humanitarian who has a special commitment to Belgrade," Tanjug reported.

BELGRADE - Austrian writer and humanitarian Peter Handke confirmed his arrival in Belgrade on May 21, when he will be presented with the Charter of Honorary Citizen of Belgrade, City Assembly President Nikola Nikodijevic said.