I told him Ilir Meta, but Thaci again asks Albania for passport equipment for Kosovars

Kosovo President Thaci in an interview urges Albania to equip Kosovo citizens with Albanian passports to move freely into the Schengen area, as this is not allowing the EU. He has continued critical language to European Union institutions, demanding that they drastically change their approach to Kosovo.

DA: President Thaci, weeks ago you were visiting the US and before her in the Vatican where you met Pope Francis. What is special about these visits?

Thaci: The special visit to the Vatican and meeting with the Pope is the ongoing support the Vatican is giving Kosovo and the necessity of recognising Kosovo laid down on our part. I received confirmation from Pope Franqescu that they are following the situation closely, that they will make the right decision in the future by recognising reality in Kosovo and that Kosovo will now have its representative in the Vatican, this is a innovation and a direct report with the Vatican, which will speed up the Vatican's decision to recognise the Republic of Kosovo. I invited Pope Francis to visit Kosovo and he confirmed that this will happen at appropriate times. As we visit the US, we continue to have excellent relations with a partnership of an eternal US and Kosovo friendship. What it can confirm is that Washington will continue to support Kosovo strongly, will continue to believe strongly in the story of Kosovo's success and to affirm this success story throughout the international arena. Even at my meeting with the US vice president of Pence, I confirmed that Kosovo will also carry out all its obligations to internal and international consolidation by consolidating reforms in economy, political and legislation. I also laid out the need for the US to be involved in the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, which vice president Pence confirmed, but at the same time also the need to establish the Kosovo Armed Forces, which Pence clearly stressed that Kosovo has the right to establish the armed forces, but that we will continue to carry out our obligations in a co-ordinating process with our US and NATO partners, in a comprehensive process that will be a new army, with the multiethnic participation of all communities.

DA: Could there soon be a law on the military in Kosovo's parliament if there is no co-ordination and agreement with the parties on changing the constitution required for the formation of the military?

Thaci: We are working closely with our strategic partners in order to have a successful and coordinated summary of all these commitments. Now we are focused on meeting the criteria for constitutional changes, we are also discussing with the MPs of the Serb community so that what the international community is demanding to achieve. I do not believe it will be tolerated during the veto that someone claims to put on this right of Kosovars and Kosovo will have the army within the year.

DA: President Thaci, two days ago you were very critical of the international community regarding its strict stance not to enable Kosovo free movement without meeting the demarcation criteria with Montenegro. Do you continue to take that stand and be critical of the EU?

Thaci: I wasn't critical, I said what's true and this truth could probably hurt someone, of course, that there are different interpretations of times of misunderstanding and sometimes maliciously. Once again I reiterate that the European Union's stance is absurd and shameful in relation to Kosovo citizens and Kosovo institutions. We have not asked for less or more than equal treatment like other countries in the region, rather than double the criteria. However, of the 95 criteria for visa liberalisation, 94 of them have met, there has been remaining ratification of demarcation with Montenegro, and we are aware that without the imitation of this criterion, visa liberalisation from the EU does not occur. This crane has been unjustly and surprisingly placed in Kosovo by the EU, which I think more than the criteria for implementation, has been a political trap by the European Commission to further postpone visa liberalisation for Kosovo. Therefore, I think that the EU should start to change access to Kosovo. This European Commission has remained on 17 months' notice and I see it has no intention and vision of Kosovo, and this has been my message to Kosovo citizens for Kosovo institutions, so happening in this situation we have to move as quickly as we can to ratify the demarcation agreement in the Kosovo assembly, but even when we ratify the agreement for demarcation, we will still have challenges with this composition of the European Commission with Kosovo because there is no focus for Kosovo.

DA: If what you say the EU has no deserved access to Kosovo, then how do you think you will enter the final phase of dialogue with Serbia where the mediator will be exactly the European Union?

Thaci: The EU does not have the well-deserved approach in relation to Kosovo, but has discriminatory approaches in relation to Kosovo, in relation to Kosovo politics and the future of Kosovo, so we have asked that this approach be drastically changed.

DA: Still insisting, do you think that with this EU approach, as you say towards Kosovo, it should enter the last phase of dialogue with Serbia where the mediator will be exactly the EU?

Thaci: Dialogue does not link with visa liberalisation, but of course it is a mission for the full normalisation of Kosovo's relations with all neighbours and dialogue with Serbia must continue with a consensual and comprehensive composition of Kosovo, because it is an interest to have normal reports even with the state of Serbia, to have reconciliation and to pave the way for the Euro-Atlantic perspective even more concrete, but Kosovo will not be the one that will satisfy the EU's wishes in dialogue, that Serbia moves towards the EU and Kosovo remains in zero position.

DA: In the final phase of dialogue with Serbia, there will be red-line Kosovo, if we rely on your previous statements where we have expressed ourselves several times, Serbia is not fulfilling the agreements reached with Kosovo?

Thaci: I am not a follower of the deployment of red lines in important processes involving the EU and the US. Dialogue has no alternative, while forms and opportunities are another issue. What is very important is respect for the Kosovo constitution and its laws and agreements that are in line with the constitutional framework.

DA: President, will this time have direct US involvement in Kosovo-Serbia dialogue?

Thaci: At the meeting I had with US Vice President Pence I have requested his and his cabinet's involvement directly in the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue. What I can say is that Vice President Pence confirmed US involvement in a new and active live dynamic.

DA: President Thaci earlier you have suggested creating a Kosovo unity group for the latest phase of dialogue with Serbia. However, two political subjects in Kosovo, The LDK and Vetevendosje oppose this, saying Kosovo has its own institutions and does not need a unity group. Why do you think Kosovo should again have a unity group for dialogue with Serbia?

Thaci: We will continue to work on achieving a broader political consensus, which would include politics and civil society, as well as media and influential social personalities. We are on a good track, now it is an electoral process, I understand the statements of political parties, but I want to believe in the responsibility of the Kosovo leadership that the state's interest will put before that party.

DA: You believe, but have you agreed with Prime Minister Haradinaj that you can lead dialogue with Serbia?

Thaci: We have very good co-ordination with Prime Minister Haradinaj, even with the chairman of the Kadri Wessel Assembly, so we engage in involvement with political party leaders so that we can be together in this important process and that will happen.

DA: Kosovo can set deadlines for completion of dialogue, for Serbia, and the integration process, for the fact that, according to the Kosovo opposition, with dialogue, only Serbia is winning, and Kosovo is not reaching anything, how did you indirectly state it earlier?

Thaci: Neither Kosovo nor Serbia can set time limits on each other, this process is led by the European Union and will be a direct participant and a US one, so we will be in a framework of commitments as two states in a process led by our partners.

DA: Do you believe in the big reconciliation between Kosovo and Serbia?

Thaci: I believe in dialogue, I believe in communication in neighbouring, I believe in Euro-Atlantic values, so this is the way we have to follow and question what if there is no dialogue, there are only problems, hostility, conflicts that no one benefits from. We will all benefit from the dialogue, and by the final agreement Kosovo and Serbia and the international community will be victorious because it cannot be just one party.

DA: President I want to go back to the demarcation with Montenegro. The Montenegrin prime minister was very firm in his stance that Montenegro will no longer negotiate with Kosovo for a centimeter of the border issue with Kosovo. You have been the signatory of a demarcation agreement with Montenegro. Given this position of Montenegro's hesitant on the one hand and the controversial stance of this agreement by Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj. Where do you see the way out?

Thaci: Kosovo and Montenegro have reached agreements, fair and sustainable professional and responsible state agreements. Now the problem is not between Kosovo and Montenegro, but the problem is with voting in the Kosovo assembly, so we should all focus on securing two-thirds of the vote in the assembly to vote on the agreement. This agreement is responsible institutionally concluded by the state commission of the Republic of Kosovo, then by two international commissions, we also have NATO's assessment and the assessment of the American State Department, so that of all international institutional factors, this deal has been blessed. This is about Washington, Brussels, NATO is closed, so we have to be very alert, very responsible to fulfill our obligations of state agreements, because state agreements are not lectures of geography hours, but they are constitutional and legal responsibilities.

DA: When we are in neighbouring Kosovo countries, the day before was Albanian President Ilir Meta visiting, who was asked that Albania provide passports to Kosovo Albanians in order to move freely since the EU is not liberalising visas for Kosovo. Do you not find this declaration, this requirement, as a kind of lifting the citizenship of Kosovo citizens and seeking another citizenship?

Thaci: After the classic isolation of the EU has made Kosovo citizens and closing every hole of hope for Kosovo citizens to move freely into the Schengen area, we should ask that this problem be solved even on the national level as well as it can be resolved. My request is constitutional and legal right by respecting Kosovo's constitution, but it is also Albania's right and constitutional and legal obligation. We have to be realistic, all the people of politics in Kosovo, including institution keepers, ministers, MPs, elites in Kosovo, all have Albanian passports and at the same time have Kosovo citizenship and can also get very quickly visas at embassies in Kosovo. But who are deprived of the right to free movement, students are sometimes businesspeople are ordinary citizens. Therefore, Albania think it should behave responsibly by fulfilling its constitutional obligations. This may be a decision that is more noble and human in character. My request is not pressure on Albania, but it is a need, a noble request and a lot of humanity. Albania, I think, will act responsiblely and again my request is even more powerful today that both President Meta and Prime Minister Rama are in the process of constitutional and legal obligations, but also of national responsibilities to facilitate Kosovo citizens' free movement across the Schengen area.

DA: Do you think that this demand of yours can so easily be passed against the international community?

Thaci: Albania has the constitutional and legal obligation, while we have the constitutional and legal right. As long as it's allowed by constitution and law, then it should also be acceptable in the government's institutional action of both countries.