Thaci: Kosovo's relations with US, EU will never be violated

President Thaci made these comments in a conversation with the Voice of America in Iowa where he visited the National Guard, the General Assembly of this American state, met the governor, Kim Reynolds, and students from Kosovo.

President Thaci said that after the October 6th early parliamentary elections, Kosovo must soon form a new government that will face challenges awaiting the country.

The “but initially it will be the internal priorities and then it will be discussed even the possibility of overcoming all obstacles to continuing dialogue, so that neither Kosovo nor Serbia” is an obstacle, he said.

The talks have been suspended since November of last year, when Kosovo imposed a 100 per cent fee on Serbian goods in a sign of opposition to Serbia's approach to its citizenship. Belgrade conditions the resumption of talks with the removal of tariffs.

President Thaci said an internal debate is needed regarding the tariffs in which political parties, the government, parliament and Kosovo society should be included.

The United States has consistently urged the suspension of tariffs, while the European Union lifting them to reopen talks with Serbia, but the outgoing government of Kosovo has resisted this pressure by fueling concerns about violating relations with its allies...

“The governments can come and go, but our reports with the United States and the European Union will never be violated”, President Thaci said.

He believes in Mr. Matthew's appointment. Palmer as a special envoy for the Western Balkans is a clear message that the United States will be active in the region and in the process of Kosovo talks, Serbia. Mr. Palmer told the Voice of America this week that the United States wants a solution to be owned locally, to be stable and acceptable to both sides.

President Thaci said only an agreement leading to mutual recognition has meaning for the people of Kosovo...

The “of course that within the dialogue and negotiations that will be held there will be different opinions which I think will ultimately result in a final historical agreement with mutual recognition”, he said.

President Thaci said he has never been at the negotiating table the possibility of changing borders, ideas that were dropped in the summer of last year as an opportunity to reach an agreement between the parties. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has stressed that he commits himself to a border demarcation between Serbs and Albanians, meaning partitioning Kosovo, while President Thaci had suggested border correction that he meant, joining Kosovo in the Presevo Valley, a majority Albanian region in southern Serbia.

“has never been on the table changing borders. The territorial integrity of the Republic of Kosovo is inevitable. All those who have spoken of changing Kosovo's borders have presented a fraud for public opinion with electoral character. The territory of Kosovo is immune. But I always respect the right of Presevo, Medvedja and Bujanoc to join the Republic of Kosovo, without any centimeter of Kosovo's territory being violated. All other opinions are lies”, he said.

Continued talks can be expected after elections in Kosovo, and diplomats hope that this will happen before Serbia enters the election period held in the spring of next year.