Kosovo’s former Foreign Minister Meliza Haradinaj believes that the international community’s attention to the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue is diminishing.
In an interview with journalist Alice Taylor for the “Inside Albania” podcast, Haradinaj stated that the West is empowering Serbia to act violently.
“Before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, there were discussions about mutual recognition. After the invasion, we hear about de facto recognition or other definitions of a temporary solution. The region is receiving less attention. This encourages Serbia to act with more power and intensity, as happened on September 24,” Haradinaj stated.
For Haradinaj, the statements of NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg during his recent visit to Belgrade were alarming for Kosovo.
“He said they are working to strengthen NATO’s relations with Serbia. It was shocking, especially for us in Kosovo. Instead of calming the situation and opening the way for a new perspective for the Western Balkans, we have seen the opposite with these statements,” stated Haradinaj.
The former Foreign Minister sees concerning facts regarding the investigation into the terrorist attack in Banjska, which the international community has been silent about for months.
“I am aware that there is a final report that has been submitted. I believe they are waiting for the elections in Serbia not to jeopardize the dialogue and unfortunately help Vučić and wait for him to break his false promises after the elections. As always, they will be disappointed because Vučić will continue with the same strategy,” clarified the former Foreign Minister of Kosovo.
Haradinaj called for NATO to come with a new approach to cooperation with Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina, two of the most threatened countries by the Serbian threat in the Western Balkans. However, she also sees mistakes in Albania.
“I think there is a great opportunity for NATO to have a renewed approach to expansion in the Western Balkans and not just take measures to avoid a new conflict that Russia is trying to ignite in the region. Perhaps there needs to be an action plan for membership, efforts to join NATO programs that can increase cooperation with Kosovo. Unfortunately, Albania, as a member of the alliance, is not helping at all with this agenda,” stated the former Minister.
Regarding public clashes between Prime Ministers Rama and Kurti, Haradinaj argues that unfortunately, it is not just a show.
“Prime Minister Rama has not only had these problems with Kurti. Whenever they don’t agree, it’s about Serbia. That’s the problem! We do not agree with his stance on the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue. Rama personalizes the relations between states. The personal opinions of a leader in Kosovo should not affect the relationship as the sisterhood we have between Kosovo and Albania,” concluded Haradinaj.
