Rama to the Atlantic Council: Serbia responsible for Banjska

Albania's Prime Minister Edi Rama has said mutual recognition between Kosovo and Serbia is necessary.

On the eve of Albania's 111th anniversary of independence, Rama said to the Atlantic Council that Albania and the region “have never been better”, but stressed unresolved issues between Kosovo and Serbia.

He spoke of changing access to dialogue on the part of Kosovo, citing the Association of Serb majority municipalities, the Express newspaper reports.

“I am encouraged by the change in the approach of the Kosovo authorities, and by accepting in principle the Association, Kosovo's prime minister has testified to the important will to move forward and seek solutions rather than alibi, or to seek the past instead of the future”, Rama said.

With that “the region has never been better”, Rama said it means compared to a few years ago. But stressed that the lack of mutual recognition of Kosovo-Serbia as “a large elephant in the room”.

This most difficult part to date has shown that it is necessary. They've taken steps after the cat that's gonna keep happening. In the wider context, Russian aggression in Ukraine, the war between Israel and Hamas can be even worse if we don't work night and day to keep the conflict out of our”, Rama said.

He said that in the context of world wars, “this situation, which has improved greatly, has to address and resolve this issue between Kosovo and Serbia, in full recognition of Kosovo, with final peace”.

The Albanian prime minister said the attack on Zvecan Banisk was “a very strong sign, and a literal alarm leg of potential that has such an unresolved issue to become crucial to endangering regional peace and co-operation”.

The responsibility not only of persons involved, but also of Belgrade that did not condemn him, but proclaimed national mourning days in honour of these criminals. Once again, we must not succumb to confrontations, escalations, but triple peace efforts”, he said.