Kurti does not change attitude for dialogue with Serbia: First Justice and Employment

Voice of America: Mr. Kurti, your victory in Sunday's election makes it easy to form government, what are the first jobs that really await your government?

Albin Kurti: First we're going to have to create a small government cabinet, continue the good work that we started in the spring of 2020, and many more that are even better. We need to start with the bill on our charter that should have the right to vote at embassies and consulates, and we also need to start with the bill on the confiscation of unwarrantable property and anti-mafia, we need to return the customs terminals given to private companies in the state, and there are also a host of government decisions that turned out to have been non-religious, except not legitimate, which we have to cancel. But in general, our priorities are justice and employment, with which cases we should never forget the COVID-19 pandemic that hasn't gone.

Voice of America: What will be the way you cope with pandemic? Even when you fell from the government in the spring was in the middle of the pandemic, this pandemic is still here, so how will you deal with it?

Albin Kurti: We were the government that managed the pandemic in the spring of last year and that's why we were praised not only in Europe. On May 24, 2020, there has been no new infected case in Kosovo, so with the closure we had made and the wise opening gradually, we were able to reduce the number of new infected by May 24th to zero. In the last two weeks when I was on duty, which I finished on June 3rd, there were 139 new cases in the last two weeks and only one dead. On June three, when I released the office, there were 30 dead. Today we're figured 1550, so over a thousand and 500 since then. We had a black date somewhere in August last year, if I remember it was August 7th, with 215 infected a day and 16 dead. We will learn lessons from our exemplary governance in the management of pandemics and the subsequent mismanagement, but our goal will be to access funds, set priorities for social levels for vaccinating about 60 percent of the population this year.

Voice of America: How do you think you can do that, where do you get vaccines in view of the fact that there is now a highly severe vaccine diplomacy in the world?

Albin Kurti: We see this fully only in cooperation with the European Union and the United States of America. We will sit down with Brussels and discuss how Kosovo, which has a strong connection with Brussels, saw what is far from integration and membership there, to make it the best way to vaccinate as big and faster.

Voice of America: There has been an offer from Belgrade to help Kosovo with vaccines since Serbia is far ahead in the region with this process. Are you willing to do so, or would you accept such help?

Albin Kurti: Here are two problems; first of all, Serbia's report to Kosovo is a report of diplomatic aggression at the best opportunity, at the worst of all, is more than that, different and criminal attacks made in Kosovo by its structures. On the other hand is also the aspect of global algorithms where we do not agree with Serbia at all, it is strengthening ties with the Russian federation and China, which we do not see in the future as our partners or allies. European Union, United States of America, NATO, this is our orientation every time for everything.

Voice of America: In the spring when you were prime minister took about a thousand tests from Serbia, what is the difference? If you've accepted those why not the vaccines?

Albin Kurti: Then there was a thousand tests in an unprecedented humanitarian situation, of risking the general health of the population and we did it so that we took them as a state on one side. Where only people will not be divided according to national affiliation in Kosovo, and on the other hand, there has been a dialogue with Serbia's minister of health (Arben) Vitita, where the result was fantastic half a million euros in aid to Presevo, Medvedja and Bujancin. It was a trap we didn't fall into. If we didn't take those a thousand tests, then a humanitarian crisis would be propaganda among Serbs in Kosovo, which was certainly in existence and we have acted wisely.

Voice of America: Mr. Kurti just mentioned your alliances and orientation, of course, towards the European Union and the United States of America. One of the challenges that awaits you even in relation to the international community is that of talks with Serbia. You have claimed that it is not your priority, but the main allies, the United States of America, have called on it to become a priority. How will you act?

Albin Kurti: We do not want to avoid dialogue and underestimate its importance, but we consider that the citizens of the Republic of Kosovo have chosen us to bring justice and employment, and of course it is urgent to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. On the basis of all measurements of public opinion in Kosovo, when you ask citizens what importance you give dialogue with Serbia is usually in sixth or seven places, I can make it say a concession and bring it to fourth place after justice, employment and pandemic, but I can't bring the two priorities to the top. So, I don't want to belittle it, but I can't say it's going to be on top of two priorities because we're coming out of a giant Vetevendosje victory, in which citizens voted for what they need most. When we bear in mind that the elections were held on February 14th -- that is, on the eve of the 13th anniversary of Kosovo's declaration of independence -- we are convinced that these are the days when we should talk much more about independence than about Serbia.

Voice of America: But independence continues to be rejected by Serbia and its allies, meanwhile, continues to be strongly backed by Kosovo allies such as the United States. It was the United States, and President Biden, who called for talks with Serbia to be continued, the outcome of which would be in the centre of mutual recognition. Does that affect you?

Albin Kurti: It was a very good letter sent to the president of Serbia. We trust the new administration of the United States. President Joe Biden is a good connoisseur of Balkan history, has great political and diplomatic experience, even with his family he has strong ties with Kosovo and I want to work very closely with President Biden. I am optimistic that the future dialogue with Serbia will be transformed by nature, not by transaction as proven in the past. I also think that dialogue is next. We will do this in co-operation with the United States of America, but I just have to stress that the state of Kosovo is beautiful, we have to strengthen the state and even dialogue works much better then. I'm not saying that we don't remember, but we have to stress justice and employment because the independent state of Kosovo when it was declared 13 years ago has been evident that it will not be recognised by Serbia and rejected by Serbia, so we have not declared independence believing Serbia will recognise us. So this is an ongoing political battle where the United States is our main ally.

Voice of America: Do you fear that, as critics say, your victory and your positions can complicate not only Western goals to resolve the issue between Kosovo and Serbia, but Kosovo's relations with its allies?

Albin Kurti: Absolutely not. You can't find a more pro-Western political subject, the most democratic, the deeper in thinking in terms of Western Euro-Atlantic and European orientation.

Voice of America: How do you see, however, whenever it happens, the epilogue of talks with Serbia? Have you feared the resurrection of old ideas that you strongly opposed?

Albin Kurti: Old ideas are old ideas, in time old age grows, so old ideas get older and I don't think they'll be able to turn into new projects. The old projects have failed and we don't need to regenerate them.

Voice of America: Is your idea of joining Albania, which during the campaign of these elections, also an old project used by your rivals?

Albin Kurti: First it's not my project at all, so it's a project of what we're made of -- Albanians in the Balkans, and wherever we are in the world there's a natural historical intensity of Albanians for unity because they're divided by violence and from abroad. Of course, this is an old problem, but it has consequences to this day. Our priorities will be justice and employment as I do not close the door in the future, nor the nation's historical intensification on the one hand, nor the people as will always within peaceful and democratic frameworks.

Voice of America: You renewed that justice and employment are your priorities, but to realize all of this, of course, you have to have power. Making the government doesn't seem a problem for you, however, your victory does not ensure enough votes to elect the new president, until failure to elect him risks new elections. Have you considered how you will manage this situation?

Albin Kurti: I am more optimistic than before holding elections on February 14th that we can also elect the new president because there is a reflection on all political parties on the outcome of the elections. This reflection will also enable their review, but I now believe it will bring a rational atmosphere into the parliament of the Republic of Kosovo, where they will not abandon the hall when the new president is elected, as we need to consolidate institutions and in both areas for which the president should be competent and integrityful, in that of foreign policy and justice, my colleague and the president in office have been shown at high levels each time. When it's added that if we don't elect the new president we have to go to new elections, I believe it will contribute to the logical choice of president, it's also in the interest of those who can vote against it.

Voice of America: Why? The opposition is always interested in overthrowing the government?

Albin Kurti: In a situation where elections are elections, but when elections are a referendum which you gain a political subject with such massive, growing popular support, I don't think it's in their interest to repeat the elections.

Voice of America: Do you fear that there may be attempts to question your election as prime minister for the same reasons that your candidacy in parliament was thwarted?

Albin Kurti: There's no legal basis for that. I have respected the decisions, but we have many functions in the state of Kosovo that are elected by the assembly without being an MP and without referring to conflicting cases that have been dealt with in last December's Constitutional Court Act.