Prishtina, 20 November 2023
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, welcomed today in his office, the special representative of France for the Western Balkans, René Troccaz.
In this first meeting with Prime Minister Kurti in Pristina and the first visit of emissary Troccaz to Kosovo after his appointment by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of France at the end of September this year, they discussed bilateral relations between Kosovo and France, cooperation economic, governance and recent developments in the country, the security situation after the terrorist and paramilitary attack in Banjska in Zvečani on September 24, and the relations between Kosovo and Serbia in the light of the dialogue process mediated by the European Union and the implementation of the Basic Agreement and the Annex hers.
At the beginning of the meeting, Prime Minister Kurti expressed his gratitude to the continuous support that France has given to Kosovo since before the liberation until today, while he informed him of the results of the government so far and the progress made in the democratic and economic aspect of the country.
In relation to the dialogue process, Prime Minister Kurti singled out the fact that Kosovo has been and continues to be a constructive party and committed to important steps forward in this process, and informed him of the positions of the Government of Kosovo at the October 26 meeting in Brussels with European leaders. He reiterated the importance of signing agreements, because by signing the normalization of relations gains stability and implementation gains guarantees.
However, as far as the security situation is concerned, the prime minister reiterated the constant threat that Serbia presents to Kosovo. It has 48 forward operational bases around the border with Kosovo, and has recently deployed anti-aircraft systems near the border, the prime minister said, adding that the lack of sanctions against Serbia increases the threat level in the Western Balkans.
In this meeting, Prime Minister Kurti was accompanied by the Minister of Economy, Artane Rizvanolli. Meanwhile, the French emissary Troccaz was accompanied by the ambassador of France in Kosovo, Olivier Guérot.
Last modified: November 21, 2023