Pristina, 11 December, 2022
Below you can find the complete speech of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, at the joint press conference with the Minister of Internal Affairs, Xhelal Sveçla, after the meeting of the Security Council.
Dear citizens
Dear journalists,
Thank you for coming to this extraordinary government conference after the meeting of the Security Council of the Republic of Kosovo.
What we really knew all along was exposed in the most outrageous way possible and shocked everyone who thought otherwise.
After 23 years since the end of the war in Kosovo, Serbia threatens again with war and with the return of its military troops who nearly a quarter of a century ago committed genocide against our people and burned and destroyed our property and wealth.
Today, official Belgrade is talking and behaving like it was 23 years ago and is even led by the same caste of politicians headed by Milosevic’s former information minister and the former spokesman of Milosevic’s party.
Serbia is not hiding that it wants to return to Kosovo, so in essence it wants to continue the war, the war it lost and accepted the capitulation at that time in Kumanovo on June 9, 1999.
Therefore, the denial of the state of Kosovo and independence by Serbia constitutes a constant threat not only to our state, but also to our existence.
Peace in Kosovo came after the resistance of our people and the intervention of the largest military alliance, NATO, with a coalition of the most advanced democracies in the world against a fascist and genocidal regime like that of Milosevic.
In the north of the country, peace remained fragile. The Ahtisaari package was a painful compromise that, in the midst of opposition and large popular protests, was decided as a solution through which the Serbian community in Kosovo gains guaranteed, expanded, and reserved rights, unseen before, not only in our region.
The true integration of the north did not happen even after the declaration of Independence and after more than a decade of dialogue in Brussels.
What appeared to us as normalization and integration in the north of the country, was a kind of compromise with the criminal gangs directed by Belgrade, which in the soft version were called illegal structures.
An agreement was made with criminals like Radoicic and Veselinovic to form the government of Kosovo and to buy peace in the north of the country where after they had signed that the Kosovo Security Force would not be sent there, smuggling was tolerated, Serbian elections, the Serbian dinar, illegal license plates of Serbia with denominations of the cities of Kosovo, non-payment of local or central taxes, non-payment of water and electricity supply, etc.
In essence, this constitutes non-exercise of constitutional and legal obligations. Therefore, even such a situation is unacceptable for a democratic, European and prosperous state such as the Republic of Kosovo, where the rule of law is indisputable. The rule of law is the proof that we have a Republic over the government and we have common rule over any partial politics.
We have said it from the first day since we took office, I say it now as well, that the government of Kosovo is interested in dialogue and cooperation with the Serbian community in Kosovo, with all Serbs who have reserved and guaranteed rights and which they would have to use.
We are the most democratic and progressive government in the region. We want the Serbian community in Kosovo to take the positions they deserve under our constitution; to choose their representatives through free and fair elections and to sit next to us in the parliament and in the government cabinet so that together we can make decisions for the citizens of the republic.
We have sent these messages every day, since the first day of our government. Unfortunately, Serbia, through criminal groups and exploiting this environment of lack of full rule of law in the north for a long time, has held and is holding Serbian citizens hostage.
We want to act carefully, understanding the sensitivity of the situation. We have proven this all along.
In fact, due to the fragility of the situation there and the partnership with our friends, with our European and American partners, we have tolerated several postponements of the implementation of our decisions. But, every postponement also expires. We have not renounced any decision we have made because we cannot renounce the legality and constitutionality and the obligations we have due to the responsibilities we have assumed.
Lawlessness will not be tolerated, will not be tolerated in any part of our country.
I invite all Serbs in Kosovo to work together with us. To live with us. To assemble together with us, to govern together with us.
Serbia wants to return to the time of war when it committed massacres and genocide in Kosovo. We want prosperous democratic and European future.
Citizens from the Serbian community in Kosovo should not agree to return to the past. Past times must remain in the past.
Serbs are citizens of the Republic of Kosovo and must distance themselves from criminal groups and the Vučić regime, which is financing them, directing them and demanding war.
We are a government of peace that wants to maintain security for all citizens regardless of religion or ethnicity, age or gender. On this occasion, I want to thank the members of the Kosovo police and all the officials of our state, not only in the field of security, who are keeping their morale high and their vigilance high while the preparations are big and national. The militarization of Serbia over the years has brought us to this state. Every year they share about 3 percent of the gross domestic product for the army and armaments while the domestic product was growing and this militarization of Serbia coupled with hegemonic ambitions is undoubtedly a threat to our entire region. They want to violate our territorial integrity, while they want to destabilize the entire Balkan region.
Together with the Minister of Internal Affairs Sveçla and the other members who, according to their duty, are members of the Security Council meetings, we discussed together and came to good conclusions for more vigilance and readiness of all the institutions of the Republic of Kosovo with tasks of particular of both the MFA and the Interior in order to enable the establishment of peace, security, legality and constitutionality. We are not against anyone according to ethnicity, but only according to their relationship, behavior and individual or group actions in relation to the rule of law in Kosovo.
Thank you once again and after the speech of Minister Sveçla we will be able to receive some questions from you!
Last modified: December 12, 2022