Hoti: Future government must take Washington Agreement seriously

He has added that the government that will emerge from the February 9th elections should take this document seriously.

What is known as the Washington Agreement is an agreement on economic normalisation between Kosovo and Serbia reached the White House in September 2020 under the then presidency of Donald Trump.

Whether this case will again receive the attention of the US administration after Trump is sworn in as the new president of the United States early next year.

But Avdullah Hoti, who worldwide signed the agreement as Kosovo chief executive, says the future Kosovo government should work on implementing this agreement.

I am sorry that (the Washington Agreement) has not been implemented during this period, during these four years. I am convinced that if that agreement was implemented today we would have the whole other economic and political context in the country. It is a shame that the Kosovo government abstained from implementing that agreement because the new US administration in 2021 confirmed its readiness to implement that agreement. I expect the future government to take this issue seriously and engage in projects that are envisioned under the” agreement, Hoti said of the KP.

Washington's agreement assured Kosovo of the state's recognition of Israel, meanwhile provisions dealing with the creation of airlines and railways between Kosovo and Serbia have not been implemented.

In addition to failing to implement this agreement, Hoti criticises the government led by Albin Kurti for also “cem of key coalitions”, in particular with the United States.

The Kosovo government has also been criticised by the US for actions they have considered unilateral.

This year, Kosovo authorities have taken several actions in the northern part of the Serb-run country, among them closing Serb parallel structures, as well as stopping the use of the Serbian dinar.

Hoti has also talked about the Brussels dialogue and the meeting, expected to be held on 17 December at the chief negotiator level.

The LDK MP has no positive expectations in this direction, meanwhile, hopes the new US administration will give a new dynamic to the dialogue process.

There was absolutely nothing waiting. At that moment that dialogue framework for mutual recognition was abandoned, which was launched in the past government, I have no longer had good expectations, and those expectations of bad luck have been confirmed because we now have the Ohrid Accord and the Ohrid Annex that have trapped Kosovo on the path of European integration and have completely shifted the focus of dialogue from the final agreement for mutual recognition. I expect, I am hopeful that the new US administration will give a new dynamic dialogue process, because with the approach of the Government of Kosovo and the bureaucracy that is in Brussels, it is difficult to hope there will be something concrete”, Hoti has added.

In addition, he criticises the government even in terms of the economic aspect where, according to him, there is “complete punishment”.

The mandate of the government led by Albin Kurti ends at the beginning of 2025, while parliamentary elections that will reveal the new composition of the Assembly will be held on February 9th.