Kurti: I would vote for union with Albania unless there is democratic and peaceful referendum

The prime minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, in a sound interview for the online magazine “Monocle” has talked about dialogue with Serbia, the possible referendum for joining Albania, and the trial of former KLA leaders in The Hague. Kurti said that in the future he would vote for union with Albania only if there was a peaceful and democratic referendum.

“In the future if it was presented as a democratic referendum peacefully I would vote for, but I repeat again, only if it was to be done peacefully and democraticly”, Kurti said when asked firmly how he would vote in a referendum to join Albania.

Kosovo's chief executive has stated that Kosovo and Serbia should recognise each other and that the EU is an important factor in this.

I think we should all be optimistic because there's no other way. I believe we have some disagreements, but the central part of the future comprehensive agreement between Kosovo and Serbia should be mutual recognition. Now we have mutual ignorance, so we need to know each other, towards this end we can have a peaceful statement first where we agree that we will not attack each other a declaration of inaction. I also think that the EU is an important factor that can provide a corresis for the future agreement because it has to be above the value of European spirit, order and law, democratisation and confrontation with the past”, Kurti has said.

Journalist Andrew Mueller reminded Kurt of a meeting they had in Tirana in 2005, asking him if he would join politics with the organization that headed that world, KAN (Kosovo Action Network-Kosovo Action Network), which Kurti had replied to “not because we have ambitions greater than that”.

Asked whether Kurt has changed the system since then or has managed to change the system, the government chief replied that both.

I think the system changed after declaring independence, I can also say that I have changed, not in the sense of purpose, but in the sense of strategy and experience, I was more involved in the social-democrat form of thinking that I believe helped in participating in elections, that transformed civil activity into political organisation and then at political party”, Kurti replied.

He was also asked about relations with former KLA leaders who are being tried at The Hague, including Hashim Thaci, and whether he is happy he is being tried in another state.

Kurti said he is not happy that Thaci is being tried in The Hague by the Special and that he would like him to face justice in Kosovo for corruption in peace.

“Former President Thaci wanted in a form to monopolise history for political gain. I never contested their contribution during the war, and I was also part of it, after the war certain things happened where some KLA leaders with political powers began to gain material benefits and their idealism deviated. Absolutely not (I do not enjoy Thaci's trial in The Hague), I would like them to face justice in Kosovo for corruption they have done here in Kosovo, because they are mainly responsible for abusive privatisation and tenderomania. So they would have to be tried in Kosovo for peace crimes that have been committed to the economy and society, and not by a “sui-generis” court that has a lack of transparency and is dealing with something that has been affected by the International Court for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY), by UNMIK and EULEX courts. There is another special court and we have a special treatment, I would like a normal treatment, normal courts in Kosovo dealing with crime and corruption. ” has added Prime Minister Kurti away.

He also spoke of the possibility of a referendum for joining Albania and EU integration.

If there were two referenda people would vote for unity. I am the prime minister here who won on the promise of work and justice and employment for youth. In this mandate this is my priority, but in the future, I certainly would not rule out the possibility, yet I think for a lasting peace and stability in the region, the quickest and best way forward in the future is for the six Western Balkan countries to integrate into the EU at once, some refused to enter NATO, but Kosovo is. Kosovo and Albania are two states, but we have the same language and we are one nation. When we declared independence, we declared it against Serbia and not against Albania. On the other hand, there are many citizens in the EU who have dual citizenship. I think there are a lot of people who have three passports, and I've written them out to vote in all countries where they're citizens and have citizenship. ”, he said.