Kurty again: Unrecognized association is like coffee without a cup

Prime Minister Albin Kurti has stayed in Turkey on an official visit at the invitation of President Recep Tayip Erdogan, with whom he even had a meeting yesterday.

Meanwhile, it also conducted an interview for Turkish English-language television, “TRT World”, where it has talked about recent developments in Kosovo in relation to Serbia.

According to Kurti, the issue of the Serb majority Communist Association in Kosovo cannot be created without Serbia knowing the country's independence.

“I have said earlier that asking for association without knowing Kosovo is like asking for coffee without a cup. I can't get my coffee without my cup. The state is cup”, he said, Kankosova.tv reports.

Among other things, he said that if Serbia wants to form one-ethnic associations, like what it is looking for in Kosovo, “to first think about doing it at home ... because there are more minorities in Serbia than in Kosovo”.

The prime minister was asked if US envoy for Kosovo-Serbia dialogue Gabriel Escobar is blackmailing Kosovo in relation to the establishment of association. Kurt gave no concrete answers to that question.

Mr. Escobar is very active and very involved, and I welcome this. I've met him a few times. We need to be careful and right. What I'm presenting as principles, as conditions, for any kind of association, are not my arbitrary attitudes or personal opinion. The will of the people of Kosovo, constitutionality and legitimacy are what forced me to say that we first need mutual recognition, and only then, any kind of association, let us not forget the bitter experience from Bosnia. 14 Serb majority municipalities took place together in April 1991, in January 1992 declared independence, in February 1992 made their constitution, then we had the war, and finally Republika Srpska. It came from this association”, the prime minister said.

Kurti said Turkey has expressed its will to help Kosovo in NATO and the Council of Europe (KiE).

President Erdogan really wants to support Kosovo, and I am very grateful for the contribution of the Republic of Turkey over these years. Many of our soldiers have trained and trained in Turkey, and we will also boost our military and economic co-operation, trade exchange. Turkey is also helping us with membership in the KiE, but also in NATO, where Partnership for Peace is the first and most important”, the head of the Kosovo government said.

In this interview, as Klankosova.tv broadcasts, Kurti has said Ankara cannot be a mediator between Kosovo and Serbia, because it is not neutral because it has recognised Kosovo.

“Ankara is not neutral, has recognised Kosovo's independence on the first day. The mediators must be more neutral. We deal with Lajcak and Borrell in Brussels. However, Turkey, the US, Germany, France, Italy, Scandinavian states, Britain are on the side of Kosovo because they have recognised our independence. But, however, I think President Erdogan knows the region very well and was interested in knowing more about it from the EU proposal, and explained to him what some of the key points are and we have his support for the road forward towards the full normalisation of” reports, Prime Minister Kurti stressed, broadcast Klankosova.tv.

He said Serbs are not seeking Association, but that it is official Belgrade who is trying to fight our independence.

“What I look forward to are high-level meetings so that we can clarify more of the next agreement, which needs to happen soon, but an agreement that will have mutual recognition at the centre, because Biden and Scholzi have said full normalisation of the reports implies mutual recognition. We do not recognise Serbia because of its Constitution, they do recognise us because of our” Constitution, Kurti said.

He was asked if mutual recognition Kosovo- Serbia is its main condition for any agreement with Serbia. Kurti replied: “in the last decade has had 33 agreements in Brussels without mutual recognition. Two-thirds of them have not been implemented by Serbia. You may have other, technical, past...”.

The journalist intervenes with a sub-question: “but they (Serbia) say you have not implemented the 2013 agreement on creating association”.

Because that deal didn't pass the Constitutional Court test. 23 acts of the Constitution have been violated with that agreement. On the other hand, Serbia's president has violated the agreement because it has led all Serbs collectively to issue jobs of Kosovo state institutions, and has sent letters to Slovakia, Spain, Romania, Cyprus and Greece not to accept Kosovo's EU membership bid, which is a violation of the 14th mark of its most beloved agreement. So they are insisting on an agreement they have not ratified in their assembly and which they have only violated”, the executive head said.

In the end, he called on the unaware states of Kosovo's independence to join the majority because “Kosovo is the success of democratic and economic progress”.