Kurti: If NATO were here, Serbia would try to invade Kosovo again

The prime minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, has again spoken of the September 24th terrorist attack in Banjska in Zvecan, where following an armed clash with a group of Serbs, Kosovo Police Sergeant Africa Bulnjak was killed and police official Alban Rashit was wounded, reports The Signal newspaper.

In an interview for the Dutch newspaper '%Trouw '%, Kurti has said that behind the attack lies the Serbian state, while adding that since June 2023, international partners had warned of the possibility of such an attack.

After those criminal attacks, we seized more than 5m euros in heavy military equipment and ammunition. Of course, it is impossible for ordinary citizens to take responsibility for this. This was Serbia's state, using a paramilitary group led by a criminal. (Milan) We've known Radoicicin here for a long time, he's also involved in threats, smuggling and extortion. Criminal organisations use Serbia's political position as a cover for their crimes. In June we warned our Western partners that something was being prepared. At the end of that month we appointed two terrorist organisations. We were criticized for this, but in September it turned out that members of those groups were part of the paramilitaries in Banjska”, he said.

According to him, if NATO forces were not present, Serbia would probably try to enter the war for the invasion of Kosovo.

“Feeding its strong ties with Russia, Serbia believes it can escape the injuries of KFOR soldiers and Kosovo police. Like Russia, Serbia hates NATO. In the eyes of Kremlin, Kosovo is nothing more than a project NATO, while I see it as a success of fighting a people for freedom. The Kremlin doesn't see people, he sees only leaders and territory. If NATO were not here, I am sure Serbia would try to invade again. Serbian military police have 48 military bases around the border with Kosovo, of which 28 include soldiers. From there, sometimes for a while they enter our country”, Prime Minister Kurti has said.

But Kurti says optimistic about a peaceful future, saying that there is no such kind of nationalism among people in the region, promoting the war machine of dictators.

What makes me optimistic about the future is that there is no such nationalism among people in our region that promotes the war machine of dictators. They already prefer the only thing they have left, that is criminal gangs. Thirty years ago, figures like Radovici would have distributed the Kalashnikovs to ordinary citizens. They are no longer interested in this, and that reduces the power of these types of criminals”, the Government's chief has indicated.

According to Kurti, the solution between Kosovo and Serbia is the model of two Germanys in 1972.

“We reached an agreement under the leadership of the European Union in February, but implementation is the problem. Serbia refuses to sign and has violated at least eight of its eleven articles. Without a signature, you show that you have your own reserves. I think we should stick to the 1972 model for West and East Germany: live and let live, with de facto mutual recognition”, Kurti said.

From his point of view, until power in Belgrade is a leader distanced by Milosevic and Putin, there can be no normalisation of relations between Kosovo and Serbia.

“What is needed is a bold democratic leader in Belgrade, who is distanced by Milosevic and Putin. Until then, I'm afraid there can be no normalization”, he declared.

Kurti said that, unlike Serbia, Kosovo does not propaganda.

Serbia, as a bigger state, has huge resources for propaganda, which we don't have. Often you can no longer hear Kosovo's truth through Serbia's lies. We don't propaganda”.

He said there are two kinds of diplomats in the EU who are dominant in determining relations with Serbia.

The “first is shy, fearing that Serbia could pull Russia into another round of Balkan wars. And that's why he prefers the satisfaction of coping. And the second kind thinks, I must say, utopically. He believes Serbia can join the Western camp with President Vuciq. Without democratisation this is an impossible” mission, the country's prime minister, Albin Kurti, has said.