Table failure in the face of other regional leaders, opposition criticism, Kurti's reasoning for summit in Tirana

Prime Minister Albin Kurti faced criticism for not participating in Western Balkans Summit - The EU held in Tirana.

Critics of his failure to show up in Tirana, Kurti responded with a Facebook explanation last night.

He has said the visit to the United Kingdom and Ireland was prepared from last year, so attending the BP leaders' meeting was impossible.

However, he said, although virtually, he participated in a conference where he also stressed Kosovo's support with Ukraine, regional integration through the Berlin Process, as well as commitment to reforms and expectations for the upcoming summit of this process.

“Despite this, at today's conference in Tirana, entitled The Development and Convergence Plan, I was a virtual participant in a videocast where I stressed the support and solidarity of the Republic of Kosovo with Ukraine and its people; regional co-operation and integration through the Berlin Process based on EU rules and values; support and dedication for the European Union's Development Plan that enables gradual connection with the EU Unic Market; commitment to reform and expectations for the upcoming Berlin Process and the Regional Market Action Plan <20>, when Facebook wrote.

Kurt's refusal in Tirana has been criticised by the opposition. The leader of the largest opposition party, The PDK, Memli Krasniqi, has said that this summit is one of the most important for the state of Kosovo, which the prime minister has shown irresponsibly and leaving his primary obligations.

Krasniqi has said that the executive head chose to hold empty speeches in Northern Ireland, rather than exploit the possibility where Kosovo can benefit hundreds of millions of euros in investments.

He's called it <x0.0 irresponsible and genus” Kurt.

“Today, in Tirana, the European Union's joint summit with the Western Balkans is under way, with a focus on the Development Plan initiative for concrete EU investment in the countries of our region. The value shared by the EU for this plan for the period 2024-2027 is 6 billion euros, where the possibility of Kosovo profiting hundreds of millions of euros in investments is already confirmed. And on this very one, Sam, among the most important for our state, Kosovo's prime minister has decided not to participate. Instead, he has chosen to spend the week in Northern Ireland, holding empty, uninflicted speeches in schools.

That without responsibility and departure from his primary obligations as prime minister is unbelievable. Today, Kosovo's prime minister has had the country in Tirana, among other leaders of the Western Balkans and the European Union. One thing is clear: with this approach of Prime Minister Kurti, Kosovo will not benefit new investments, but neither will the current sanctions imposed by the EU on our state be lifted. An angry, irresponsible prime minister suffering from the inferiority complex, unfortunately for Kosovo, will fail to deepen even the cross-Albanian reports, leaving them regional and European”, Krasniqi wrote.

Critics against Kurt also had Abelard Tahiri, chief of the PDK parliamentary group, who said the fact that Kurt refused participation is unacceptable.

“It is unacceptable that Republika Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti refuses attending such an important summit in these circumstances that we are going through both on security issues, and because of the membership of the entire region in the EU. Thus, such rejection by Prime Minister Kurti is unacceptable. And I am reminding you that for 16 years, since the time of declaring independence, the Republic of Serbia consistently refuses Kosovo's participation in tables where it is equal to all states of the region, while today Prime Minister Kurti meets a desire to our enemy, the state of Serbia, with non-participation where they do not need to seek non-participation of Kosovo, because Kosovo refuses to participate”, Tahiri told the KP.

Laws across Northern Ireland called them an excuse to leave the meeting, LDK deputy Avdullah Hoti. According to him, there is no reason why Kosovo was not present in this Sam in Tirana.

According to Hoti, the summit in Tirana was the country to insist and contribute to unlocking 300m euros for projects due to EU measures on Kosovo.

There is no reason why Kosovo is not present in Tirana at the Western Balkans Summit with the European Union. There is no more important agenda for Government than this summit, except for a national emergency. I'm sure the speeches in Northern Ireland are just an excuse to leave this meeting.

The summit in Tirana is the country to present needs and projects, as well as to make necessary consultations with partners. It is the country to insist and contribute to unlocking 300m euros for projects due to EU measures towards Kosovo.

According to Commissioner for Enlargement Oliver Varhely, the EU's plan for economic growth of the Western Balkans has been conceived in Tirana. Consequently, the Kosovo government would have to make close consultations with the Rama Government ahead of this” summit, Hoti wrote on Facebook.

For his sole visual participation, Government spokesman Progress Kryeziu had said this would happen because of his commitments.

Because of previous commitments, Prime Minister Kurti will not be physically present at today's summit in Tirana. Prime Minister Kurti, however, will be part of the summit virtually through a video-edification”, the Government spokesman, Kryeziu, has said. /reporter