Prishtina, 30 October 2023
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, together with the first Deputy Prime Minister, Besnik Bislimi, today invited the ambassadors, chargé d’affaires, heads of diplomatic missions and deputy ambassadors accredited to Kosovo for an informative meeting.
Due to the meeting on October 26 in Brussels with the Chancellor of Germany, Olaf Scholz, 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 and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, as well as his emissary, Miroslav Lajcak, Prime Minister Kurti and Deputy Prime Minister Bislimi informed the diplomats present about the progress of the meeting, mutual demands and the positions of the Republic of Kosovo.
Like in Brussels, on 27 February, 2023 and in Ohrid on 18 March, he underlined that last Thursday as well, he was ready to sign the Basic Agreement, including the draft offered by the EU and the USA for the implementation of Article 7 in conjunction with Article 10 of that Agreement. Despite this, as on 27 February in Brussels and 18 March in Ohrid, Serbia, also on 26 October, this time in front of European leaders, again refused to sign and instead submitted a request to accept a side letter in which among others it says that it will not recognize Kosovo’s independence, does not accept Kosovo’s membership in the United Nations and does not recognize Kosovo’s territorial integrity.
Prime Minister Kurti reiterated his position on the importance of signing the Basic Agreement and its Implementing Annex, because acceptance means signature, only signature means acceptance and guarantees implementation.
Counting the successive violations of the Basic Agreement by Serbia, its continued disregard and refusal to sign, as well as taking into account the aggression against Kosovo in the case of the terrorist attack on 24 September and the kidnapping of three Kosovo policemen on 14 June, The Prime Minister called for sanctions against Serbia, as the only way to ensure that such actions and acts are not repeated.
He added that Kosovo cannot remain hostage to Serbia and since there is no readiness and will on the part of Serbia to sign and implement the Basic Agreement, we must move forward.
Last modified: October 30, 2023