Kurti at the Berlin Process Summit: 25 years after the genocide campaign, Kosovo is still threatened with invasion by Serbia

Prime Minister Albin Kurti has spoken of the September 24th attack on Zvecan Banjska in northern Kosovo at today's Berlin Process summit under way in Tirana.

At the first session on the subject “Integration of the Unic Market region and improved convergence with the EU”, Kurti chose to talk about Serbia-sponsored evil “act.

After thanking Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama and Germany's Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, for organising this summit, Kurti began to tell of Serbia's threat to Kosovo.

“in a terrorist attack against Kosovo on 24 September, one of our police officials was killed, but the authors still roamed free in Serbia even though publicly accepted their involvement. It was a wicked act sponsored by Serbia, as evidence uncontested shows. We have confiscated over 5m euros of sophisticated weapons and ammunition produced in Kraguyevc and Cacak. Four times in the last two years Serbia has brought its army to our” border, Kurti said.

“Even twenty-five years after the genocide campaign, and after so many rounds of dialogue, Kosovo is still threatened with invasion from Serbia. This moment requires us to reflect and not to continue our work as usual. Such an act should not go unpunished”, he added.

Kurti said that “citizens in the Western Balkans today should not live in fear of a conflict tomorrow, but work for a future together”. He further spoke of the responsibility of leaders “to build that common future”.

And as leader, we should be involved in that trust process. A trustful commitment is required to ensure the long-term effectiveness of our agreements and to respect all parties invested in the process”, Kurti said.

He said that last year three agreements were signed, while adding that progress “could be even faster”.

“Unfortunately, disregarding a key agreement on freedom of movement on the part of Bosnia and Herzegovina means that visa conditions continue between Kosovo and Bosnia”, Kurti said.

He said he welcomes the new agreement on new professions for nurses, veterinarian surgeons, midwives and pharmacists, and the next “agreements that further expand the range of professions involved”.

“We support “Plan with four steps” of EU growth for the Western Balkans by the president of the European Commission. The EU can reform and expand. I also believe that the benefits of the EU's Unic Market should be linked to economic and democratic reforms. There should be no EU benefits and no EU funds, without EU values”, Kurti said.

Kosovo's prime minister said they are aware of the basic standard gap with the EU, which will take time to close”.

Together, we must continue to work towards sustainable growth for our region. Kosovo, a living democracy, is prepared to face new challenges and embrace a brighter future. In this direction, we are pleased to have created Convergence Observatory”, Kurti said.