The prime minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, has said that he cannot establish associations without the prime minister of the country. According to him, this is a duty of the municipalities, which must be associated with each other.
However, Kurti announced that he has offered to draw up the draft statute of the Association of municipalities with a Serbian majority in Ohrid, North Macedonia, when Kosovo and Serbia had agreed on the annex to the implementation of the Brussels Basic Agreement in 2023, but it was rejected by the European Union, as a mediator of the dialogue.
He added that it would be an imposition on the municipalities if there was any association established by the government.
The establishment of the Association of municipalities with a Serbian majority is among the main demands of international partners towards Kosovo, as part of the implementation of agreements between Kosovo and Serbia for the normalization of relations.
“I offered to write the draft statute dated March 18, 2023, in Ohrid, North Macedonia. But there I was rejected. I have been told that this should be done by the management team. The management team, headed by the member of the Serbian Parliament, from the party of the president there, Danijela Vujicic, wrote something that was worse than the Republic of Serbia…. On the other hand, let me emphasize that I am the prime minister of a democratic Republic, where prime ministers do not form associations of municipalities. Municipalities associate with each other, coordinate and cooperate and so on. If someone wants another association, then this should come from the municipalities. The prime minister does not form associations of municipalities nor does he establish them… If the prime minister establishes an association of municipalities, this would be an imposition on the municipalities. Association is freedom, right. This is what I, much less any neighboring country, do,” he said.
Commenting on the adoption of a draft law in Serbia on Serbian judicial jurisdiction in Kosovo, Kurti said that this is a hostile and aggressive action towards constitutionality, legality, peace and security in Kosovo.
He considered it necessary for progress in the dialogue to sign the Brussels Basic Agreement, reached between Kosovo and Serbia in 2023.
In addition, he reiterated the need to withdraw the letter of the former Serbian Prime Minister, Ana Brnabic from Brussels, as well as handing over to Kosovo the person responsible for the terrorist attack in Banjska, the main criminal, Milan Radoicic.
“The basic agreement is first and foremost. I have asked that we sign it as it is the package where everything can be placed, not to take something out of the package and destroy the package.
Also, the implementation annex from Ohrid with 12 points is also attached… What is the meaning of making an agreement and in the end you say that you can sign. Also, the master criminal, terrorist, Milan Radoicic, should be surrendered an hour earlier. There is no good faith between the parties, there is no good will and intention if you do not hand over Milan Radoicić, but on the contrary protect him there, finance him and allow his aggressive activity towards Kosovo… Without withdrawing that letter of Mrs. Brnabic, where they say that they do not respect the territorial integrity of Kosovo, contrary to the basic agreement, I do not know what draft statute anyone can write, not me, but anyone. We need good faith between the parties and good will and intention”, emphasized Kurti.
He was also asked about his position in the presidential elections in the United States of America.
Kurti said that he is a democrat and ready for cooperation with everyone.
He even gave an interesting answer when asked what his cooperation with the Trump administration might be like if he wins the election.
“I am the prime minister of Kosovo and I cooperate with leaders of states who are from all sides of the political spectrum, as the prime minister of Kosovo. As the head of the Vetëvendosje Movement, of course I am a social democrat, I am a democrat and I have nothing new to add. Participated in all conferences, summits of sister parties in Europe and the world, such as the one in Chicago, USA. I have nothing else to say. Let’s see the results and then add the selections made by the winning candidate. I hadn’t done the cerebral gymnastics of hypotheses upon hypotheses, that if this one wins and if that one wins, that I don’t know if he wins or I choose this one, that I don’t know if I choose him. So if you choose this one you don’t know if you win. So I didn’t have this in this, especially when we are so few days away from the elections there and because this is the Prime Minister’s pulpit here”, Kurti added.
As for the punitive measures of the European Union against Kosovo, Kurti said that Kosovo had no fault for the de-escalation of the situation there last year, and it had a constructive approach to the organization of local elections there, but which were boycotted by the Serbian community.
