Kurti: In addition to LAA, we will discuss PAN deputies forming government

Kurti, in an interview for Blicin Beogradas, has said Kosovo should have an army of 20,000 members, as according to him, about one percent of the population should be involved in the military, the newspaperstro.net forward.

Regarding dialogue with Serbia, Kurti has said that if he takes the lead in the Kosovo government, he has an economic and social plan for the country's northern municipalities, inhabited by Serb majority.

“We are not against Serbs, but Serbia is against us”, Kurti has said.

For Kosovo's new government, Kurti has said there can be no new government, with the old regime, alluding here in the PDK coalition with AAKA and Initiative.

Kurti has said that he as the candidate for prime minister would take all necessary measures to start and lead talks to form a new government.

“In the first place, we will discuss with coalition parties consisting of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), the Alliance for New Kosovo, Alternative and the Justice Movement, but also with some MPs who are part of the PAN coalition.

For how he will act in terms of dialogue with Serbia, Kurti has said that the current dialogue has set no conditions for Serbia, and talks are held on Kosovo's internal issues. The result, therefore, cannot be right.

This dialogue creates the impression of normalisation of relations, but in fact has only deepened ethnic division. We are not against the principle of dialogue, but against a dialogue that Serbia determines the agenda and topics. Serbia must meet a number of conditions because it owes much to Kosovo”, Kurti has said.

Asked about his statements against Serbs, Kurti has set an example for the Pristina municipality, which is governed by the Vetevendosje Movement, and in which he says there are two villages inhabited by Serbs, where everything goes smoothly.

“Constitution and our laws guarantee minority representation in parliament and the government, including Serbs. We do not see Serbs as Serbia. We are not against the Serbs, but Serbia is against us. The problem is that part of Kosovo Serbs are instrumentalised by Belgrade. There are those who know our joint independent and public Republic, and even more accept it privately. In Kosovo, Serbia has instrumentalised local Serbs through Serbian “List”, which distorts the will of Serbian citizens. The mistake is that Serbs and Albanians see only according to their national identities. Both sides, Albanians and Serbs are not always and everywhere only Albanians and Serbs: they all have their social roles and professions, different past and dreams of the future”.

As for the Association of Serb majority municipalities, Kurti has said that agreement has been rejected by the Constitutional Court, after it has been noted that the Constitution has been violated at 23 points. According to him, the corrupt government in Pristina has accepted it. Through this agreement, Kurti has said he is trying to become the federalisation of Kosovo, which the country would turn into another Bosnia. He has said this will not be allowed, because according to him, it is not in anyone's interest to have a non-functional republic.

When asked about the army, Kurti has said that the people of Kosovo should decide and have the right to defend themselves.

Kosovo needs an army to maintain peace. The Kosovo Armed Forces will be an institution that will guarantee security, but also a partnership with our allies Albania, the US and NATO integration. Compared to Serbia, which annually shares 500m euros for the military, Kosovo shares ten times less. Currently, only 50m euros are earmarked for the Kosovo Security Force. Kosovo needs to build its army, in relation to the population. We have about two million people, and according to some studies, it's good that one percent of the population is represented in the field of security, and protection, which means that among the police and army there are about 18,000 to 20,000 members”, Kurti said.