What's hindering Thaci's meeting?

The offices of the president of Kosovo and those of the prime minister are located in downtown Pristina, at a distance of no more than 100m from each other.

But the two political figures, which according to hierarchy are also leaders with the highest institutional functions, have failed to find time or a place for meeting, despite invitations they have addressed each other so far.

Both agree that the topic of discussion would have to be Kosovo's unique position in foreign policy, with particular emphasis on Kosovo's position on dialogue with Serbia.

Their political differences have started since the time, when Kurti was in opposition, meanwhile, Thaci in high state positions, whether as prime minister or as president of Kosovo. And recently, both have openly expressed distrust of each other. Thaci has named Kurtin <x0freaked and inept”, while Kurti said on Wednesday before the assembly that Thaci already has a secret agreement with Serbia.

“I am convinced that there are ready agreements and what is being requested is to break the Government of Kosovo, to break in advance as prime minister”, Kurti said.

A meeting of a little longer than four minutes has been held so far between Hashim Thaci and Albin Kurti, though that meeting was before Kurti took up the post of Kosovo prime minister. It's about the meeting, when Thaci mandated Kurt for the post of prime minister. Since then, both Kosovo leaders continued playing <x0 mating” with invitations, but other meetings were not made.

Prime Minister Albin Kurti was the first to send an invitation to the meeting to President Thaci before he left for a visit to Europe and later to the United States of America.

On February 13th, Kurti, through a letter, had asked for a meeting with President Thaci to harmonise attitudes about foreign policy before the security conference in Munich, Germany.

In his letter, Kurti wrote that the external “policy is what should unite us”.

Let's give all of our intellectual and patriotic capacity to the introductions of our meetings. I invite you today at 12: 00 p.m. or 5:30 or even in the evening to meet and agree together on our subjects and attitudes”, was written at Kurt's invitation to Thaci on February 13th.

The president's office, at the time, had announced that Thaci had travelled abroad. The president had not taken time to meet Prime Minister Kurti even before his visit to the United States.

After returning from the United States, President Thaci had invited all leaders of parliamentary political parties to meet and talk about a unity about political dialogue with Serbia. With the only leader Thaci failing to meet was Prime Minister Albin Kurti, also chairman of the Vetevendosje Movement.

A three - hour requirement for the fulfillment of the meeting during the day, Thaci had addressed Kurt even on March 11th. But, like other times, the meeting did not develop.

Thaci said that by not taking any initiative, Kurti is showing <x0frective and incompetent”.

The “Vons to make fair decisions, cut and clear by the prime minister do not help the health and the state of Kosovo itself, and of course we will not allow strategic partnership with the US to be violated. Mr. Kurt is being both a coward and an incapacitated, nor is he removing the fee nor is he dared and being able to establish reciprocity”, Thaci said.

But, on the other hand, Kurti has said he will not meet with Kosovo president, while he invites him as Vetevendosje chairman rather than as Kosovo prime minister.

I have no interest or willingness to meet the current president as chairman of the Vetevendosje Movement. As prime minister, I have an obligation. I'll meet you another day when he's done with parties”, Kurt said.

Meanwhile, in a response to Radio Free Europe from the prime minister's office, it has been said that Prime Minister Kurti could meet with the president Friday afternoon.

Analyst: Kurti's Thaci is damaging Kosovo position

Political analysts consider that delays and lack of co-ordination in foreign policy will have consequences for Kosovo. Analyst, noble Halimi, told Radio Free Europe, that Kosovo currently stands before an extremely delicate phase.

Unfortunately, our international partners have agreed that Serbia must be rewarded with something, more than it does in the Ahtisaari package. It should be seen that in the event of procrastination of internal consensus in Kosovo against foreign policy and dialogue, the consequences will be enormous, while the primitive type is not coming tomorrow, inviting today and not inviting tomorrow, will have a tremendous cost for Kosovo”, Halimi said.

He considers that there is a time when the political scene in Kosovo is not even able to find the calm, nor the right balance to function as a mature, normal and functioning policy of the state.

“We are witnesses that we are only suffering a pair of sanctions, and they are sanctions and non-liberalisation of visas. But, much tougher sanctions than these Kosovo could suffer in the near future, unless a reconciliation is reached on how to be represented in foreign policy and how to co-ordinate with the US”, Halimi said.

Even the other analyst, Agon Maliqi, tells Radio Free Europe that the lack of co-ordination in Kosovo politics could have major consequences for Kosovo, and that, according to him, goes in Serbia's favour.

The lack of co-ordination between the president and prime minister in the next phase of dialogue can have enormous consequences and that the benefits of this situation can only be Serbia, since Kosovo is emerging to be, at least in the eyes of the US, the unconstructive parties and the parties that are emerging as an obstacle at this moment. We like this or not, that's the perception”, says Maliqi.

Maliqi says the differences between the presidency and the prime minister are more an attempt to return each other's weight or importance to the war and control of the internal political power in Kosovo.

This appointment is “With Kurt held in his office and not meeting Kurt's office is more of a kind of struggle for internal territory than anything else. So does Kurt, making a similar effort... Kurti has the main legitimacy that must be the person who leads dialogue with Serbia. Kurt's attempt is also to ignore weight, if not de-jure, de-fact the president in this process”, Maliqi said.