Hoti: We are awaiting invitation from America, Prime Minister heads dialogue

Only mutual recognition ensures normalisation of Kosovo-Serbia relations, Kosovo Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti said in an exclusive interview for DW.

DW: Prime Minister Hoti, you took office at an uncomfortable time, at the time of the pandemic, with increased cases of Covid-19, with consequences to the country's economy and a unstable political climate. How are you managing this situation, there's a lot of criticism from the opposition?

Hoti: At present, under normal conditions, the government's work is challenging, and we are facing two important problems, as you mentioned, pandemic and economic recovery procedures. I believe we're prepared for this. In the pandemic, health institutions, health experts have done huge work in recent months. Besides institutional structures, we've also formed a group of local and international experts, we're including the site and we're following other countries' experiences, mostly in those countries that have experiences and successes in fighting pandemics, we have a good plan that we're developing by creating additional structures and capacities to face if there's actually a second wave that hits the country. We already have a plan for autumn if we face this situation strictly following European Commission protocols.

DW: Kosovo, besides the pandemic, is at another political critical moment, an indictment presented by the Special Prosecutor with headquarters in The Hague against the president of Kosovo and some others at the time you were headed to the US together with the president for a meeting at the White House to mark the resumption of dialogue with Serbia. What does all this dramatic development mean to you?

Hoti: This has created a new venture at an inappropriate moment for the country, because we arranged meetings in Washington and then we would move to other meetings in Paris, Brussels, Berlin and other European centres to start the final phase of the dialogue process, while now these developments have led us to a completely different resort, but what's important that we have also introduced before international partners is that there is no dialogue. We are prepared to enter this process, you have seen the government's stance on access to this dialogue, we have a platform that is clearly structured, consulted with the academic field, with civil society, introduced in the Kosovo Assembly, mechanisms we have created by the leaders' forum, the Council of Forces that has already been established with the government's decision, and the Parliament resolution that is expected to be adopted at future hearings where the prime minister's regular report regarding the dialogue process is required. So we are prepared in this regard. We have reviewed all the work that has been done in the preliminary governments, as far as other topics of dialogue are concerned, but what is vital is that there is a consensus of partners that this dialogue is conducted for mutual recognition, and that is the position of the Kosovo government. ,

DW: From what you say, you have a red line in this dialogue, except for mutual recognition of Kosovo- Serbia has no other option?

Hoti: The dialogue develops for mutual recognition and nothing else, of course it develops to normalise relations in all areas, but starting with mutual recognition, because only mutual recognition ensures normalisation of Kosovo-Serbia relations.

DW: Will another meeting be held in Washington after the failure of the scheduled meeting on June 27th and when?

Hoti: Yeah, we're waiting for another appointment. But I can't say when it can happen. We're awaiting an invitation.

DW: Prime Minister Hoti, review of the indictment filed against President Thaci, could take until October as announced by the Special Court, or be postponed at an anticipated time. If Kosovo currently receives an invitation from the White House to another meeting with Serbia, will the president be part of the US delegation?

Hoti: I don't know, but what I know is that in the process of dialogue we are prepared and in the dialogue process Kosovo is represented by the prime minister.

DW: So will you lead the Kosovo delegation into dialogue, or President Thaci?

Hoti: Under the Constitution and the Constitutional Court Act last year in terms of the dialogue process, it is the government that has constitutional responsibility to lead this process.