Thaci: Before Serbia We Must Be United

Kosovo President Hashim Thaci is approaching the last year of his mandate at the head of state and the BBC in the Serbian language speaks of all things that can be changed this year.

Political theory says that every power major steps and major decisions are taken in the first year of the mandate, so that it can manage its consequences until next elections.

Kosovo President Hashim Thaci for less than a month enters the last year of his five-year term, marked with unfinished negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina.

“If something is going to happen in negotiations with Serbia, it will happen this year. If it doesn't happen this year, I'm afraid we're going to lose the entire” decades, Thaci says in an interview for the BBC in Serbian.

Although other participants in the negotiations say there is no pressure and haste, Thaci explains that the final year of American President Donald Trump's first term is the best time for agreement in the Balkans.

I don't think we can get the attention of US President Trump and his team again. This return of US attention to our region is a blessing from God to Kosovo, but for Serbia we have to use this”, he followed.

Kosovo's powerful president supported the latest signatures of letters of interest for the deployment of air transport and railway between Belgrade and Pristina, which are part of the agreement reached under the auspices of US President Richard Green.

Thaci himself was part of negotiations in Brussels with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucicin, who has led the European Commission's preliminary legislature, which so far did not result in final agreements but resulted in a series of agreements, out of which only a few have been implemented.

We've never been closer to “

Hashim Thaci's experience in negotiations with Serbia is measured for decades. There has almost been no negotiating table where he was not even present since 1999, when as one of the leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army was part of the delegation to Rambouille.

We have never been closer to the agreement, because many other processes have been completed, Kosovo is free and independent, and Serbia knows about Kosovo's independence. At the same time, we are too far away that will depend on the leaders of both countries, will they invest in the future, or remain hostage to the past”, the head of state said.

Thaci along with Ivica Dacic, when the two were in the positions of prime ministers, signed the Brussels Agreement in 2013.

With Aleksandar Vucinqiqi has talked to the presidential level in negotiations, which has led former European High Representative Federika Mogerini, but these two also met at various international forums even when negotiations officially did not exist.

I don't have a special and personal relationship with President Vuciq we are president of independent states, legally elected, while I promote my country's attitudes at every forum and in front of all officials, including the president of Serbia. We have had many differences in the past, they exist even today, but this should not prevent us as two presidents from talking about the future”, he said.

In the future, Thaci considers that neither Kosovo nor Serbia can count on membership in the European Union (BE) without final agreement.

If we lose this opportunity, I will cry in front of Brussels' doors, but this will not bother anyone, nor will anyone care about”, he concludes.

“Confrontation with Serbia does not help relations with the US and the EU”

Although he sees the future in the European Union, Hashim Thaci recently strongly criticises diplomats from Brussels and his policy links him with positive relations with the United States.

This is because they deserve to be criticized we even spared them from criticism, even though we are aware that criticism has no effect. However, I must be open to my citizens because Kosovo has met all conditions for visa liberalisation, but Kosovo still remains unjustly isolated. Kosovo feels betrayed and condemned because of the lack of unity among EU members”, Thaci said.

Because of all these things, Thaci especially agrees to sea deals that have been reached under Richard Green's auspices.

“The U.S. leader is irreplaceable, and this is clearly said in two letters sent by President Trump, and Ambassador Green is only following instructions received by the president. It is essential that there be full co-ordination between Washington and Brussels, but it is clear that Washington is moving things better and more powerful”, he followed.

Washington's message that Serbia must stop the campaign to attract Kosovo recognitions, while Pristina should attract the tax 100% towards products from Serbia, it sees it as a welcome initiative.

Kosovo's “Any success is due to Kosovo institutions, but is also the result of co-operation with partners in the US and Europe. I cannot imagine Kosovo progressing without co-operation with our partners”, Thaci said.

To the warnings of Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, who is willing to replace controversial tariffs with <x0) reciprocity measures”, Thaci, who neither criticised nor strongly backed Ramush Haradinaj's previous government decision, says Pristina should think about many things.

“We dare not make populist decisions to say that we are punishing Serbia, while in reality leaving the European Union and the US. Confrontation with Serbia does not help Kosovo's relations with Washington and Brussels, while the only solution all benefits is reaching the final agreement between Kosovo and Serbia”, Thaci added.

The fact that the newly elected president and prime minister have appeared split at the Munich Security Conference, as well as that their views differ because they come from different political options, Thaci sees as the reason for «talks within Kosovo.

The government and opposition must harmonise attitudes, we must appear unified before Serbia ʹ without differences between us”, he said.

Under such circumstances, Thaci does not show what the next topics are in talks between Belgrade and Pristina, given that the public has not even known anything about communication negotiations.

“And we are considering what further steps will be. I have faith in the role of Ambassador Green and I believe he will be successful in his”, Thaci says.

Free Kosovo, proud and independent é 12 years later

Hashim Thaci was prime minister when Kosovo declared independence on February 17th 2008, while his speech to the Kosovo Assembly for official Pristina is the moment from which the citizenship time is calculated.

In that speech, in front of many cameras, Thaci said Kosovo is « <x1 available, proud and independent”.

After 12 years he claims that all three qualifications still stand - even more powerful than in 2008.

Kosovo has built civic democracy, multiethnic country, all communities are integrated into political and social life. Economic growth of 4 % each year, civil society has been consolidated, while the media are more free”, Thaci followed.

I mentioned the number of 115 countries that have recognised independence, even though official Belgrade denies the number is suspect.

Thaci says the country is a member of more than 200 international organisations, but is not a member of those organisations targeting Interpol, U n NESTO and UN.

We should have more economic development, more work, improved standard of life. But, not even one country in history has achieved so much that Kosovo has achieved for 12 years”, the president of Kosovo said.

However, despite such claims by the president, just in the days of the independence note, in municipalities with Serb populations in Kosovo, X-rays appeared with messages that Kosovo is Albania and that KLA members are heroes.

Thaci claims these are the remains of the past.

The “Dates in the current narratives are the result of events in the past and these Narratives are surviving. This is not the case only in Kosovo, but also in Croatia, in Bosnia and Herzegovina and wherever there is after war”, he said.

Because of this, he considers, it is necessary “strategic patience”.

“E has initiated the creation of the Commission for Truth and reconciliation, where all communities, including the Serb, are represented. Kosovo does not belong to one community more than another, Kosovo is home to all its citizens, and I hope things will improve and we will have a European space throughout the Western Balkans”, Thaci said.

Dick Marty's science fiction

When the Special Court for Crimes in Kosovo was established five years ago, it was a clear message from the international community that institutions in Kosovo failed to fight cases of crime, cases of alleged organ trading, murders that were committed in the past.

The Special Court will deal with something that is scientific fiction, such as Dick Marty's report. But Kosovo citizens are entitled, after 10 years of investigation, to know whether there was actually trade in organs or not, which was also the reason for the establishment of court”, Thaci said.

Hashim Thaci claims that international organs for this have Kosovo's help.

Kosovo has fulfilled its obligations to the Special Court, co-operate more with international justice bodies from every state in the region. We do this to maintain partnership with Washington and Brussels”, he follows.

At the same time, Thaci invites the work of the Special Court not to be politicised.

“I hope the court will not be monoethnic because it will deeply damage the reputation of this institution, if it will not deal with the genocide committed by Serbia in Kosovo by killing more than 12 thousand Albanian civilians, committing 400 massacres on the population, we have 20,000 victims of sexual violence committed by Serb forces, and more than 1,300 children killed. If the crimes are not resolved, we will have international amnesty for crimes committed in Kosovo, and then special court credibility will be zero”, Thaci said.

However, a special court call is the official reason for the fall of Ramush Haradinaj's government, another one by former KLA leaders, and the proclamation of early elections in Kosovo on October 6, 2019.

Haradinaj's poor performance has led his career towards the opposition.

When asked if the Special Court's work could affect his political career, Thaci answered briefly: “

He says he expects the next anniversary of independence to be received in the cabinet of the president of Kosovo.

Kosovo's president is elected by Kosovo MPs, while Thaci's former political party is now in opposition.

In the question, will he run for a new term, Thaci has no final answers.

It depends on the circumstances. I'll try to learn something other than politics, but for now I'm focused on the work of President”, Thaci concluded.