The Government of Kosovo announced through an official press release that they have accepted the Brussels Basic Agreement of February 27, 2023 and the Ohrid Implementing Annex of March 18, 2023 in the meeting that Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, participated with European Union leaders.

Also, the government of Kosovo informs that the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, has refused to sign an agreement with Kosovo, and has requested that a side letter be accepted, with which, according to Kosovo, three principles of the Basic Agreement, of the Implementation of Annex and of the draft proposed by the five emissaries on October 21, 2023 are canceled.

At the meeting with EU leaders, Prime Minister Kurti recalled that he was ready to sign in Brussels on February 27, 2023, in Ohrid on March 18, 2023, and tonight, on October 26, 2023, emphasizing that the Council Summit European in Brussels is the right event, in the right place for signing the Basic Agreement, including the draft offered by the EU and the USA for the implementation of Article 7 in connection with Article 10 of the Basic Agreement.

Press release after the meeting in Brussels with the leaders of the European Union

October 26, 2023

The Republic of Kosovo has accepted the Brussels Basic Agreement of February 27, 2023 and the Ohrid Implementing Annex of March 18, 2023.

These agreed documents are a joint success with the European Union. The agreement must be implemented in its entirety, without conditions, without delays.

In today’s meeting, with the Chancellor of Germany, Olaf Scholz, with the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, the Prime Minister of Italy, Giorgia Meloni, the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, the Vice President of the European Commission and the High Representative for Foreign Policy and of Security, Josep Borrell, as well as his emissary, Miroslav Lajcak, Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, thanked all of them for their role, commitment and contribution to peace and normalization of relations between the Republic of Kosovo and Serbia.

Prime Minister Kurti emphasized that, after the aggression attack of September 24, in Zveçan, the priority for him is security in Kosovo, in particular the security of the border with Serbia, since on the other side came the paramilitaries who carried out terrorist and criminal attacks, killing and injuring policemen of Kosovo. So that this never happens again, sanctions and punishment are needed for Serbia.

The investigations for the paramilitary and terrorist group sponsored by Serbia must determine exactly who did what and how they executed this act of aggression, while there is no longer any dilemma even among international factors about the causer.

Prime Minister Kurti emphasized that Kosovo is a champion in the rule of law in the Western Balkans, which has also been established by the prestigious international organization World Justice Project.  The paramilitary terrorist group of Milan Radoicic and the others responsible should be extradited to Kosovo, where there would be a fair trial, where it is known that the justice system in Kosovo and the judicial processes are monitored by the European Union Rule of Law Mission, EULEX.

Prime Minister Kurti recalled that he was ready to sign in Brussels on February 27, 2023 and in Ohrid on March 18, 2023, and tonight, on October 26, 2023, stressing that the European Council Summit in Brussels is the right event, the right place for signing the Basic Agreement, including the draft provided by the EU and the USA for the implementation of Article 7 in conjunction with Article 10 of the Basic Agreement.

Despite this offer by Prime Minister Kurti, the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, has refused to sign an agreement with Kosovo, and has requested that a side letter be accepted that practically cancels three principles of the Basic Agreement, of the Implementation Annex as also the draft proposed by the five emissaries on October 21, 2023.

For its democratic and economic progress, Prime Minister Kurti said that Kosovo deserves the status of a candidate country for the EU, i.e. the union of the remaining five states of the European Union with the majority of 22, in recognition of Kosovo’s independence.

Meanwhile, the security of the borders for Kosovo, together with the collective security in the Western Balkans region, are raised qualitatively through the Partnership for Peace Agreement with NATO towards Kosovo’s membership in the North Atlantic alliance.

At the end of the meeting, Prime Minister Kurti said: Acceptance means signature, only signature means acceptance and guarantees implementation.