Serbia, Azerbaijan serving Putin, Haradinaj says

Former Kosovo Foreign Affairs Minister Melza Haradinaj has reacted to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev's visit to Serbia.

In its account on the X platform, Haradinaj said the two countries -- Serbia and Azerbaijan -- have increased their military and political relations since 2011, when Azerbaijan had stepped up hopes of gaining control of the divided Nagorno Karabakh region and Serbia on the other side had begun its illegal campaign to stop recognising Kosovo's independence, which even further Azerbaijan does not recognise.

She said that by strengthening their relations with Russia after the invasion of Ukraine, these two countries are serving Putin by creating a political, economic and security dependence on Russia, and therefore by slowing down the Euro-Atlantic integration of the Western Balkans.

“In the meantime, Serbia continues to remain unanctioned and a member of the NAT0 Partnership for Peace”, the former chief of Kosovo diplomacy said.