Hoti: Washington's agreement provided mortorium for new recognition, but for membership in international organisations

Moratorium worth new international recognition.

So says Avdullah Hoti, former Kosovo Prime Minister who today a year of 4 September 2020 in the White House, had signed the economic agreement with Serbia that he brokered, Donald Trump, being US President.

I'm explaining that the deal didn't advance the mortorium for new recognitions. Israel's recognition testifies. The deal has preceded a year-long mortorium for application for membership in international organisations, which the mortorium ends today. This mortorium has been criticised by some individuals who have no idea how Kosovo has accomplished memberships in international organisations so far”, Hoti has indicated.

He said that at an anniversary of this event in an interview for Clankosova.tv, he has said that no other way can go except to respect the agreement, which is opposed by the new government in Pristina with Albin Kurti at the helm.

“Objection of this agreement is not in Kosovo's interest. Those who oppose it are against the western integration of Kosovo, which Serbia loves”.

LDK chairmanship member has also spoken of a host of issues, such as the one with the pandemic, saying the resignation of Minister of Health Arben Vitita is the least that can happen, in a situation he calls to be out of control.

In addition, how the government is ruling Albin Kurti, the shelter of Afghan refugees and where the LDK will take over in the October 17th local elections, you can understand the following.

INT PLOSE ERVIS:

September 4th of this year marks an anniversary of the arrival of the Washington Agreement. Donald Trump was the mediator of this agreement. He is the president of the United States, not even you Kosovo Prime Minister. In view of this fact, how powerful is the deal?

Avdullah Hoti: How can an agreement be signed at the White House without being powerful? The September 4th 2020 agreement is of strategic importance for the state of Kosovo.

Since declaring independence on February 17th 2008, there are two strategic agreements Kosovo has signed: (i) the Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the European Union, signed in 2016 by Prime Minister Mustafa in Brussels, and (ii) Washington's agreement, signed on 4 September 2020 on my part at the White House.

Both agreements have been signed by LDK prime ministers. The first agreement has formulated Kosovo's European integration path, which is Kosovo's geostrategic orientation defined in the first days of the formation of Kosovo's state by President Rugova. Meanwhile, the second agreement strengthens Kosovo strategic partnership- The US and ensures direct involvement of the US in the consolidation of Kosovo's citizenship in the region and internationally. Through this agreement, in the presence of the President of the United States of the White House, we have received obligations regarding our state-owned reports with our northern neighbour, being treated as fully equal.

The new US administration at the helm of Joe Biden has stressed that this agreement must be implemented, while Albin Kurti as prime minister refuses to do so. Even by the Kosovo government, the agreement is described as illegal. What do you think of this today?

Avdullah Hoti: President Biden's administration has pledged respect and implementation of this agreement, as it is in line with US strategic interests for a calm and politically integrated region with the West.

If the point of the agreement is carefully studied, its goal is clearly seen that it is the strongest and most inherent political and economic connection of Kosovo and the entire region to the West, not the birth. Therefore, rejecting this agreement is not in Kosovo's interest. Those who oppose it are against the western integration of Kosovo, which Serbia loves. Those who oppose it do not want a quiet and integrated region in the family of Western democratic nations. I have strong conviction that it is in Kosovo's strategic interest that on its northern border there is no country under Russia's full influence.

What danger does Kosovo's opposition to implementing this agreement stem from Israel's most important recognition?

Avdullah Hoti: Kosovo has travelled to this point of building and consolidating citizenship thanks to the strategic partnership that President Rugova has built with the US and other Western democracies. No one can harm this partnership. Those who try to damage it do not belong in institutions. And I guarantee that luck will be theirs if they damage this partnership.

Failure to implement this agreement loses Kosovo millions of investments in infrastructure, energy and business financing, as well as shaken our partnership with the US.

One point of the September 4th agreement has been that of the mortorium for recognition. The Serbian side has warned in recent months that there are about ten states ready to withdraw recognition of Kosovo's independence. What is the way the Government of Kosovo opposes, and how much do you believe there may be new recognitions after 4 September? How long have you been prime minister has diplomatic activity been completely frozen on this issue, or thanks to you could there be any new recognition now?

Avdullah Hoti: I'm just explaining that the deal didn't presuppose the mortorium for new recognitions. Israel's recognition testifies.

The deal has preceded a year-long mortorium for application for membership in international organisations, which the mortorium ends today. This mortorium has been criticised by some individuals who have no idea how Kosovo has accomplished membership in international organisations so far.

Uplinking membership is not the result of the administrative-technical application process, but are political and strategic decisions of countries that have supported us for membership. With the support of the United States alone, we have been able to join several international bodies, and thanks to the United States we can achieve new memberships.

Let the Kosovo Foreign Ministry prove membership in an organisation without co-ordination with the US. I'm afraid the membership application can't be prepared and delivered. Maybe these critics don't want to coordinate with the United States but with someone else. However, this mortorium passes by today and I expect these to immediately membership in international organizations. I'll be the first to congratulate you.

Another point of agreement that tried to turn into political (false, opinion fraud) cause is the study of feasibility for Lake Weyman. This study was delivered to Government three months ago with full clarity that international conventions and practices apply to similar occasions. Consequently, it was found that all that noise was planned by their propaganda machine for low political purposes.

One issue you've been criticized for is that of pandemic management. In the last few days, however, we are witnessing a serious situation with COVID-19. The government you've been running is called by the Vetevendosje Movement as the next “Stupid government”. What is your preference to the government Kurti 2?

Avdullah Hoti: The situation with pandemic is very disturbing. I express my condolences and my family to the families of those who have lost their lives from this pandemic.

Minister Zemaj and my entire government have had the management of pandemic. An extraordinary team of doctors has been advising us all the time. With them and with international partners and organisations, we have held weekly consultations to receive their assessments and experiences from their countries.

At the invitation of Minister Zemaj, several times doctors from several countries and organisations who have inspected and praised our strategy for managing pandemic have come to Kosovo. We have been very transparent to opinion and inclusive in the way we managed the pandemic, with regular weekly meeting of the Pandemia Management Committee and the media conference after each meeting. Doctors have meant the key to the measures we have taken. We've increased the number of beds in hospitals. We've extended the oxygen supply network to hospitals and clinics. We've hired all health professionals at the country level. We've put in the final phase procedures for contracting vaccines, and we've reached agreements with various donors for several vaccines. We've prepared the vaccine plan distributed in every QKM and ambulances, not as they did in just one point for the municipality. We have been involved and widely co-ordinated with municipalities in the management of pandemic. I personally communicated with the mayors for the needs they had, because they've been watching those affected by Cove through the network of primary medical doctors and nurses.

But, like Washington's agreement, both the disasters that have occurred to us by the Pande vivi-19 have been used politically by those who are now in power through an unprecedented offensive and lynching campaign against my government and the Ministry of Zemaj. These days, researchers' media are publishing their statements during the past summer when we were in the second wave of pandemic, where we clearly see the use of disaster from pandemic for political purposes. In parliamentary debate for the current 100-day government, the head of the government and its co-partisans used the figures of cases of fatality and daily infection to insult my government and Minister Zemaj further. Today, all these people are silent. It's obvious to them that their “object reasons for vehicle”. These greedy politicians have short lives in institutional policy, but harm to society causes.

With all this approach, we've been reserved and expressed our readiness to help. Minister Zemaj has been available since giving up the task to help complete the contract for vaccines and other issues related to the management of pandemic. Even today, we are willing to activate all the professional cypher expertise we have to help.

How do you assess some calls for the dismissal of Arben Vitit from the position of minister of health? Should this happen? What do you think of his candidacy for the head of Pristina?

Avdullah Hoti: His resignation is the least that has to happen. This government as a whole has failed to manage pandemic.

Is management of the Unedia The Book of Achilles of the Kurti 2 Government according to you. What do you see as its strongest point for so long of government?

Avdullah Hoti: In these six months of government, we are seeing only failures and impasses. Kosovo today has no foreign policy. Relations with Albania are strained. Relations with the region have deteriorated. There is no clarity in the process of dialogue, at least as far as our approach is concerned, and there is no support provided by international partners for our access to dialogue. Economic uncertainty in businesses has increased because it is unknown what policy will be undertaken in the future. The package of economic recovery is existent, even though budgeted. The banking sector is awaiting fluctuations that will occur in the credit market from the establishment of the development bank and sovereign funds. A risk in itself is extending the government's direct influence on public companies and independent agencies by appointing persons on the basis of nepotism or their political representatives.

With this approach, there cannot be stable governance, at least not in the interest of the citizens and the state of Kosovo. I predict that these will soon surrender by causing some institutional or political crisis. Experiences from other countries with similar populist governments have never been positive.

Did recent measures were taken by the government regarding COVID-19?

Avdullah Hoti: The situation is out of control. The measures are late. The measures were supposed to be preventative. The delta version of the virus has emerged in April. The estimates have been that this version of the virus in Kosovo would appear in June/July. All the estimates back then have been that we were going to a much tougher new stage of pandemic. Therefore, the measures were to be preventative.

The right would be to cool off the team of independent experts engaged by Minister Zemaj, who together with experts from the government and international experts, will be formed special task force for the management of pandemic. The Assembly must urgently meet to discuss the situation created and to adopt the necessary budgetary and administrative decisions.

In autumn, October 17th, 2021, local elections will be held. Where do you see the LDK can emerge in this election?

Avdullah Hoti: In this election we enter with full confidence that we will receive the support of citizens to lead with local government in most municipalities. We've made all the preparations. We have confirmed very good candidacys for mayors and for municipal municipalities respected personalities by respective municipalities and some of them at the country level, international experts with experience who have joined him. The LDK, devoted activists of the LDK and the state of Kosovo with rich institutional experience. Full mobilization has been made in all municipalities. Support teams from the centre have been assigned to help our field candidates. We're conducting a unique, door-to-door campaign with individual contacts, programming and positive approaches, showing our values.

Above all, more and more are becoming clear that the LDK remains the only party with European democratic values, institutional parties, with competent people to lead, parties that have suffered politically at certain moments in defence of state interest. Citizens are observing this every day and trust in The LDK is coming back.

In Kosovo the last few days have begun coming Afghan refugees as part of an agreement with the US on their housing. Was he doing so?

Avdullah Hoti: Kosovo is part of the family of Western democracies. We share fate with our political families. We must make our contribution to such matters. You know that in my government for the first time, agreement was made to send KSF members on international missions alongside the American Army. So we have to contribute to such processes along with other countries in line with the possibilities we have.