Tahiri for the Washington meeting: Kosovo commits itself to recognition without touching borders

Former deputy prime minister and Kosovo's chief negotiator in the technical talks for Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, Edita Tahiri, has said Kosovo must strongly commit to the Washington meeting, expected to be held on 4 September, mutual recognition without touching borders.

Tahiri has said this meeting is of strategic importance because it shows America's added commitment to Kosovo and peace in the Balkans.

I appreciate that the Washington meeting this week has a strategic significance because it shows the added American commitment to Kosovo and to peace, neighbourhood and stability throughout the Balkan region, where unfortunately we still have open issues such as normalising bilateral relations between Kosovo and Serbia after 20 years of ending the wars and birth of new states”, Tahiri told IndexOnline.

As Tahiri has said, which for several years had negotiated with the Serbian side, Friday's meeting is a step towards recognition between the two states.

The former chief negotiator said Kosovo must engage strongly to achieve mutual recognition, but without touching borders.

“The meeting between Kosovo and Serbia in Washington will be a step towards mutual recognition between the two Kosovo states and Serbia on the current borders, as a positive development contributing to strengthening peace and stability in the region. Kosovo must exert itself vigorously to achieve mutual recognition without touching borders, the issue of war reparations, the right to sukcesion -- that is, the taking of his dues from the degeneration of the former Yugoslavia, where Kosovo was federal entity”, Tahiri stressed.

Although this meeting is said to have more economic character than political recognition between the two countries, Tahiri has ordered the Kosovo side not to deviate from other topics.