Rama: Serbia to recognise Kosovo, get rid of burden

He says he would like the EU to be the EU and follow the founders' vision towards full implementation of their European project, which includes the full integration of the Western Balkans into Union.

We need the EU as much as they do us. We can lift each other up or pull each other down. As far as we're concerned we've all done our job for this stage, but there's certainly still a lot to do and nobody's denying it. The only problem is that for every phase we hand over, the EU must give its share, and this hasn't happened recently”, Rama said.

Asked how he views granting the candidate statute for Ukraine and Moldova, if it is just a gesture of goodwill, he answers that he does not understand the reasons for such a decision for Bosnia and Herzegovina, while fully supporting the decision on Ukraine and Moldova.

But to leave Bosnia and Herzegovina with nothing again, while being asked unanimously by all Bosnia and Herzegovina deputies representing all communities, shows once again that the EU, instead of leading Europe decisively in these turbulent times, is guided by the inertia of current events instead of a vision. We hope another war will not be necessary for Bosnia and Herzegovina to receive candidate status”, he says, broadcasts FRontOnline.

Asked what he said was the reason the EU linked Albania with Northern Macedonia and whether it was right for both countries, he says he believes this is not another reason to blame the EU. In this case, their idea of keeping the two countries together and opening membership negotiations for both was by no means unfair.

Asked how he sees the fact that there is still no visa liberalisation for Kosovo residents, he stresses that whatever the reasons, it is a shameful attack on the human dignity of the entire population.

In any case, I would rule out the non-recognition factor because I have never heard the president and your prime minister declare themselves against it. On the contrary, they have always said Serbia supports lifting visas for the Kosovo population”, Rama says.

Asked why some countries in the region, including Kosovo, still do not want to join, he says they are very wrong.

Asked why he thinks the Macron political community may be good for non-EU members, and whether it is a trap and a replacement for EU membership, he seeks a replacement for it, the door of membership that does not exist.

No! It's not a problem. The problem is that some people do not want to face the reality of enlargement, which has become a means of fantasizing other countries for the sake of domestic politics. Bulgaria was just the most brutal example, not the only”, Rama says.

Asked if he thinks it will be good for Belgrade if Serbia refuses to join EU sanctions against Russia, he says it will not be good.

But I don't think it should be bad. Serbia's refusal to join EU sanctions is not Serbia's consent to aggression. On the contrary. Serbia three times joined the democratic world by voting against Russia in the United Nations. Turkey is another country that did not respect sanctions, but is against Russia at the UN and also makes a unique contribution to all of us, engaging with Ukraine, the UN and Russia for humanitarian purposes”, Rama believes.

As he says, Serbia will at some point have to recognise Kosovo and get rid of the burden that should not harm your country's bright future for a long time, broadcast the FRontOnline tour.

I understand the difficulties in resolving such a fiery issue, but Kosovo has disappeared forever. When it comes to Putin's Russia, neither the war nor Putin's rule will last forever. But history matters. Economics matter. Public opinion is important. And looking at all of this in Serbia's case helps to understand why Serbia is required to honour sanctions is simply not wise. It's also dangerous for the entire region. Whatever the case, I think there is now more understanding than a month ago”, he said.

Asked why the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina is going so slowly and hard, he says there are too many reluctance on both sides.

The last “, my Kosovar brothers, have insisted that Serbia apologize before starting seriously to talk about how to achieve final peace, sealed with mutual recognition. This is impossible for my Serbian friends and I think they are right, because such a big change from bloody war to final peace cannot happen without a full, painful and patient process of dialogue. No one can forget how these long burning pages came back to history. No comparison is perfect, but I think there is no better example than Germany, which sought forgiveness from France only in 1970 through Warsaw's kneel against Chancellor Willy Brandt. Meanwhile, in 25 long years, many steps have been made in building faith.

Asked where he views the entire Western Balkan region in 1015 years, he says he is not brave enough to predict the Balkans, but expresses hope that the best has not yet come.