Phillips says the idea of changing the border is dead

But prof. David Phillips of the University of Colombia told the Voice of America that Albin Kurti has also over time changed his attitudes.

In the interview given to the Voice of America, Phillips said the idea of changing the border has died and when negotiations with Serbia resume, Kosovo will go to the table with a platform of territorial integrity.

Voice of America: Mr. Phillips, how do you see the election results in Kosovo?

David Phillips: Clearly, democracy is functioning in Kosovo. The new voter generation wants change. People are tired of old candidates who built their reputation during the war against Serbia. So the choices went well. They were free and fair. Now Kosovo is expecting the major job of forming the government and of an attitude towards Belgrade for future negotiations.

Voice of America: Do you see the result not only as a signal of support for Mr. Kurti, but also as a vote against the policies and attitudes of the former majority within the country and the international arena?

David Phillips: Clearly, Albin Kurti is respected and admired by the electorate. Now he needs to build bridges of co-operation and work towards forming a coalition government, communicate with Serbian representatives in Kosovo for ways he can work with them and develop a position for negotiations with Belgrade. I think the implementation of 33 existing agreements will initially be revised and based on that analysis, some steps for further implementation will be recommended. One thing that's not on the table is changing the border. Neither Albin Kurti nor any of the major parties support him. So, the Kosovo government may have a dialogue with Belgrade, but dialogue will be for normalisation within Kosovo's current borders. And it won't be on the table of separation.

Voice of America: The State Department said the United States expects the new leadership to resume talks with Serbia immediately towards an agreement on normalising relations. Do you think that's realistic?

David Phillips: Of course, there should be negotiations on normalisation. Everyone supports normalisation. Change of borders was an idea of Hashim Thaci and Aleksandar Vucinqi. And now he's out of time. She's dead and we don't have to deal with her anymore. We need to focus on pressure Belgrade to recognise Kosovo, normalise relations, address the issue of missing persons so that both countries can move forward as neighbours within their borders, side by side in peace and prosperity.

Voice of America: Some of Mr. Kurti's statements and attitudes have caused concern for the West for years, including the United States. In fact after the elections, his statements have been cautious. Do you think he'll change attitudes when he's in government?

David Phillips: I've known Albin Kurt for decades and seen him change as a person and as a political personality. I predict that his maturity will grow, that he will continue to change. He supports a dialogue with Belgrade, but we need to be clear about the agenda. It opposes division or changing borders. So I expect American officials to adapt to reality. Albin Kurti will begin efforts to form a government. It will have to co-operate with other parties and will have to deal with relations between Kosovo and Serbia and with Kosovo Serbs, with the Serb list, so that we can work constructively towards strengthening a common society to be multiethnic and democratic. Albin Kurti can be a good partner in this regard: unpolluted, no secret shopping, no background. That's what voters wanted, and we in the United States have to accept it.

Voice of America: So you're saying there will be adjustments from both the United States and Mr. Kurti's...

David Phillips: Kosovo is not a colony of the United States, does not receive orders from Washington. The days when the US ambassador to Pristina dictated the rules for everything are over. Special Envoy for the Western Balkans (Matthew Palmer) and now the special envoy for the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, Mr. Green, must follow a strategy based on reality. They will not make decisions in Washington and tell the Kosovo government or Albin Kurti what to do. There must be a real dialogue. Kosovo is independent and sovereign. We also need to understand that Sunday's vote was a rejection of the partition plan and Hashim Thaci personally. Kosovo voters were sick of its governance in the country, which was inefficient and generally corrupt. They were against his regional relations, and excessive friendly ties with Belgrade. They want a government that will represent the interests of the people of Kosovo, not the interests of Russia or Serbia. It's time to see reality in the eye.

Voice of America: Do you think tariffs from the new government will be removed?

David Phillips: In my opinion the tariffs were fully justified, given the Serbian government's aggressive actions towards Kosovo. Serbia's actions at Abu Dhabi in the Interpol vote forced Ramush Haradinaj to impose extraordinary tariffs. Their efforts to convince other countries to attract recognition frustrate their relationship even more. Tarifat exist. Perhaps they will be removed, but should gradually be lowered depending on Serbia's behaviour. There should be no more antagonist stance, no longer have to look down on Kosovo, and treat Kosovo Albanians as less important. We should have equal treatment. And the United States must play a role to ensure that this and respect the will of Kosovo voters.

Voice of America: Mr. Kurti has invited LDK in the coalition. How do you think it's gonna go?

David Phillips: Like the two parties with the largest number of votes, the LDK and Vetevendosje should sit down and talk about coalition. Since Vetevendosje has the largest number of votes and the most likely are to take responsibility for the negotiations and for Albin Kurti to be prime minister. The United States should support these efforts, and the LDK, instead of demanding re-counting, should start agreeing to the talks, so that it can represent the numerous citizens who voted for LDK in the elections.