3 minutes agoNatural “, close co-operation”: What signals Hamza's visit to the White House?
Periskopi(2 years ago)
(2 years ago)As natural “secretions” and “close co-operation” describes the candidate for prime minister of the Democratic Party of Kosovo, Bedri Hamza, his meetings with American officials at the White House. He says they are the result of the co-operation he had during his time as finance minister during 2011-2013 and [...]
As natural “secretions” and “close co-operation” describes the candidate for prime minister of the Democratic Party of Kosovo, Bedri Hamza, his meetings with American officials at the White House.
He says they are the result of the co-operation he had during his time serving as finance minister during 2011-2013 and 2017-2020, and the governor of the Kosovo Central Bank during 2013-2017.
“While, this time around, I am holding this official visit to my capacity as nominated for prime minister and as chairman of South Mitrovica”, Hamza tells Radio Free Europe.
For the director of the Balkan Policy Group in Pristina, Naim Rashiti, the time to hold these “meetings is of importance” and presents new development because it happens after some disagreement between Kurt and the West.
The “is especially like the new development for the fact that [Hamza] is the leader of the opposition meeting at the White House, and this does not often happen”, Rashi says.
Since his arrival in power, Kurt visited the United States several times, but he has not visited the White House. For the last time, he was accompanied by Foreign Affairs and Diaspore Minister Donika Grovalla in February of this year to attend the UN Security Council session.
Kurti had made an official visit to the United States during April ' s for the funeral of former American secretaries Madeleine Albright and in May 2022, when she met with many members of the Albanian community there and with several different companies.
Hamza has warned that during this visit to the United States, she will hold other meetings: the National Security Council, the US State Department and nongovernmental organisations.
Since 2021, several actions by the Government of Kosovo as setting up reciprocity measures for license plates and entry documents with Serbia, closing several branches of Serbia's Post in the north, the Civil Protection and North Brigade declaration as terrorist organisations have been rejected by the US and the EU.
These developments have caused Let the opposition criticize Several times the Government of Kosovo for breaking up reports with the US and other Western allies.
Kurti's first term as prime minister was over in March 2020, when MPs had voted No-confidence motion To the government.
Arben Gashi, from the LDK Parliamentary Group that was in the coalition government with Vetevendosje Movement, had said Kurti was unable to operate the government “through inaction and incompatible position in relation to partners in general and in particular with the US”.
The subsequent elections, the Vetevendosje Movement won them with over 50 per cent of the vote and managed to re-shape Government, which is heading towards the end of the four-year term.
Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani has already started consultations with political parties for date of next general election, offering as January 26th of next year as well as 2, 9 and 16th.
He held the first meeting on August 7th with US President Joe Biden's special assistant, Ambassador Michael Carpenter, who is at the same time Senior Director for Europe at the Council for National Security, and Director for the Balkans and Central Europe Kathleen Larkin.
“Ambassador Carpenter reaffirmed me that the US strongly supports Kosovo on our Euro-Atlantic path. To accelerate this road, Kosovo must remain credit partners and act responsibly towards international obligations”, Hamza told Radio Free Europe.
Rashit says Hamza's visit may have had to do with the main bridge over the Iber River, which divides South Mitrovica and the North, which the Kosovo government is aiming to open for the flow of vehicles.
Insisting Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti at the opening of the bridge on Iber has prompted numerous reactions from the West, including warnings from U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller, that Kosovo is jeopardising the possibilities created; and by EU spokesman Peter Stano for further punitive measures.
Last summer, the EU had taken some punitive measures against Kosovo, including the cancellation of several high-level meetings.
