Citaku: Comments on American officials' statements should be made very carefully
(a year ago)Former Kosovo Ambassador to the United States Vlora Citaku, commenting on President Vjosa Osmani's statements and her response to US official Richard Green, said Kosovo officials should refrain from making public comments to senior American officials. Citaku said any kind of question should be raised in [...]
Citaku said any kind of question should be raised at a closed meeting.
“Representatives of Kosovo institutions, as well as we as elected officials, as elected deputies, as political representatives, should be very careful and very attentive to our public communication and refrain from commenting on statements by senior US officials. Whatever question, any dilemma should be raised to the discretion, in a closed meeting, because only then can we save and save each other”, Citaku said.
She praised former US President Donald Trump's legacy as very positive for the Western Balkans, citing in addition to the Washington Agreement and the membership of Montenegro and Northern Macedonia in NATO. However, Citaku said comments about American officials' statements should be made very carefully.
The legacy of President Trump during his first administration in the Western Balkans should be said to be extremely positive beyond the agreed Washington Agreement between Kosovo and Serbia. We have also had Montenegro's membership in NATO, the membership of Northern Macedonia in NATO, a series of initiatives that have brought more stability to Southeast Europe in general and to the Western Balkans in particular. However, we should be extremely cautious when we aim to comment or clarify statements by US charter officials. This is a luxury not only Kosovo but also much bigger and more powerful states than we do. Any kind of dilemma, uncertainty should be addressed in diplomatic channels and in full discretion”, she added, Periscope.
Citaku cites Kosovo's lack of formal high-level visits to the White House as an indication of the government's poor approach in relation to Kosovo's strategic allies.
I have served in the US for seven years and never happened to spend a year without a high-level visit to the White House. It has now been more than five years, and we have not had a senior official of Kosovo institutions in the Ovale Office and the White House, nor during the time of President Biden, who has been a devoted friend of Kosovo and the Western Balkans, nor at the time of the new Trump administration, which allows us to imply that the problem is not in Washington, but the problem is to approach nonprofesssional and adventure, with which the government has approached Kosovo's most strategic coalitions, the EOku said.