Kurt writes two more letters, this time about Borrell and der Leyen

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti has written letters to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyeen, as well as European diplomacy chief Josep Borrell, who has informed them of the objectives and goals of the new government.

Kurti has said the only way for the agreement with Serbia should be the mutual recognition of the two states.

“Negotiations must continue. They should be well prepared as well as based on principles. Reaching a political agreement between our two states will be an important step towards the full integration of Kosovo and the Western Balkans into the EU and as a means for achieving long-term peace and stability in the region”, it is said among other things on paper.

Kurti has also announced the decision to partially lift the tax on Serbia and Bosnia in hopes that Serbia will remove all barriers to trade with Kosovo, as well as end its non-recognition campaign.

“During the mandate of the previous government there has been a lack of co-ordination among representatives of the Republic of Kosovo over their individual roles and goals in dialogue with Serbia. This created a lack of institutional and political clarity. My government vows to end this. As prime minister, I have the exclusive constitutional mandate, political will and legal duty to take responsibility for Kosovo's representation at the highest diplomatic level. I look forward to working with you”, writes Kurt.

His Majesty, Josep Borrell Fontelles,

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Nen chairman of European Commission

Your Honor. Borrell,

I am writing to inform you of the objectives and goals of the new Government of the Republic of Kosovo. I want to use this opportunity to refocus our hope for deepening our country's co-operation and integration into the European Union. Thank you for continuing support for the Republic of Kosovo in our efforts to establish rule of law, development of economy and good governance. We are very grateful for the continued support and assistance of the EU and believe that our relationship with the EU is based on the common values we have.

My government's governing programme is built on two main pillars. Our primary focus is on economic development; through increased investment we will create new jobs, especially for young people and women. Moreover, we have pledged in a non-competitive way to combat organised crime and corruption. These two related priorities of my government represent the will and interests of the people of Kosovo. They are also important criteria we must meet as we continue on our way to European integration. We appreciate the European Union's support in achieving progress towards realising these goals.

We understand the need to resolve the remaining political issues between the Republic of Kosovo and Serbia. We are committed to the dialogue process and believe it is the only way to reach the agreement, whose final goal should be mutual recognition of the two states. Negotiations must continue. They should be well prepared as well as based on principles. Reaching a political agreement between our two states will be an important step towards the full integration of Kosovo and the Western Balkans into the EU and as a means for achieving long-term peace and stability in the region.

In line with this pledge, starting on March 15th, we will start removing tariffs for goods from Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina that were imposed by the government last year. First we're going to take down the fees on raw materials. This is a sign of our good diplomatic will and commitment to resume dialogue with Serbia. We hope that Serbia will respond reciprocally to this decision; in exchange, we expect Serbia to remove all remaining non-tariff barriers to trade with Kosovo, as well as end its campaign of non-recognition against Kosovo. We invite the EU and the United States to create monitoring mechanisms and sanctions to ensure that both sides respect their pledges in existing and future agreements.

During the mandate of the previous government, there has been a lack of co-ordination among representatives of the Republic of Kosovo over their individual roles and goals in Serbia's m dialogue. This created a lack of institutional and political clarity. My government vows to end this. As prime minister, I have the exclusive constitutional mandate, political will and legal duty to take responsibility for Kosovo's representation at the highest diplomatic level. I look forward to working with you and with EU representatives to further our common interests and further the process.

My government and I as its prime minister are steadfast in our belief that the brightest future for our country is full integration into the EU. We look forward to deepening our partnership and co-operating closely with the EU at every level, especially in advancing Kosovo-based dialogue. Serbia towards an agreement that brings lasting peace to the region, economic development for our country, and visa liberalisation for Kosovo citizens.

Her Majesty, Ursula von der Leeyen

European Commission President

Your Honour,

As you are aware, in February of this year my government took office in the Republic of Kosovo. I am writing in order to inform you about the goals and goals of our new government. I would like to seize this opportunity to reaffirm our hope for deepening the co-operation and integration of our country into the European Union. Thank you for continuing support for the Republic of Kosovo in our efforts to establish rule of law, development of economy and good governance. We are very grateful for the continued support and assistance of the EU and believe that our relationship with the EU is based on common values.

My government's governing programme is built on two main pillars. Our primary focus is on economic development; through increased investment we will create new jobs, especially for young people and women. Furthermore, we are incompatible in our dedication to fighting organised crime and corruption. These two priorities related to each other of my government represent the will and interests of the people of Kosovo. They are also important criteria that we must meet on our way to European integration. We appreciate the European Union's support in achieving progress towards realising these goals.

We understand the need to resolve the remaining political issues between the Republic of Kosovo and Serbia. We are committed to the dialogue process and believe it is the only way to reach the agreement, whose final goal should be mutual recognition of the two states. Negotiations must continue. They should be well prepared as well as based on principles. Reaching a political agreement between our two states will be an important step towards the full integration of Kosovo and Western Balkans into the EU, and as a means for achieving long-term peace and stability in the region

In line with this pledge, starting on March 15th, we will begin to lift tariffs for goods from Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina that were imposed by the government last year. Initially, we will remove the fee in first-class imports. This is a sign of our diplomatic goodwill and commitment to work together with our international partners in dialogue with Serbia. We hope that this decision will come to a mutual decision by Serbia; we expect Serbia to remove all remaining non-tariff barriers to trade with Kosovo, as well as end its campaign of recognition against Kosovo.

During the mandate of the previous government, there has been a lack of co-ordination among representatives of the Republic of Kosovo over their individual roles and the required goals in dialogue with Serbia. This created a lack of institutional and political clarity. My government vows to end this. As prime minister, I have the exclusive constitutional mandate, political will and legal duty to take responsibility for Kosovo's representation at the highest diplomatic level. I look forward to working with you and your diplomats to further our common interests and further this process.

My government and I as its prime minister are steadfast in our belief that the brightest future for our country is full integration into the EU. We remain convinced that the integration of the Western Balkans into the EU would be beneficial not only for this region, but also for the EU itself. We are eager to put together to deepen our partnership, increase economic opportunities, strengthen rule of law, and other issues of mutual interest.

Honestly,

Albin Kurti