No action in the north is doing it in co-ordination with international friends, Kurti “butt” before Serbs: I want to cooperate with you

Kosovo's incumbent Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, has addressed the Serb community in Kosovo with a Serbian-language message.

Kurti has been criticised by the US, the European Union for frequent uncoordinated actions that, according to the international community, infect the Serb community.

In Kurti's message, published by the Kosovo Government page, Kurti expresses co-operation with the Serb community.

Kurti has said among other things that “I am prime minister of all. I am not against any ethnic community”, which says it cannot accept that a political party assumes the monopoly on representation of Kosovo Serbs.

Kurt message

Dear fellow citizens,

Our state with the Constitution guarantees rights and freedom to all and wants the best cooperation for their realisation. Kosovo is the democratic republic that next year will celebrate the 18th anniversary of its declaration of independence; also, we are multiethnic societies where 92% Albanians live, but also 8% from non-partisan communities -- Serbs, Bosniaks, Turks, Ashkali, Roma, Egyptians and others. The differences between us are not a cause of tension but a content of diversity that is shared wealth and priority for development.

There is no interethnic intolerance in Kosovo, as some propaganda. Rather, cooperation exists, especially in the economy and in the market. Of course, where there is profit, there is cooperation, but this cooperation must be legal and orderly. However, we must admit that there is a language barrier - the fact that fewer and fewer Albanians speak Serbian and vice versa.

Our government has undoubtedly raised the fight against corruption to another level and the quality of democracy. Reports of various international organisations confirm this. There are unhappy, but it seems that those who have been privileged when they lose their privileges are experiencing this as injustice, forgetting that their privileges thus far were actually injustice and the cause of discrimination.

At the same time, the average economic growth in our country in the past four years is 6%, and it has never dropped below 4%. We've distributed this increase into the social levels they needed most: mothers and children through additions, pensioners we've raised twice, students to whom we give more scholarships, young people and women to get better and more employment, as well as producers and farmers who have received the largest subsidies ever. Our exports and foreign investments have doubled over the past four years, the flow of businesses has increased to nearly 80%, the annual state budget for 50%, while the health budget for 60%, the agricultural area for 50%, most public companies now work for profit, public debt has dropped to only 17% (lowest in Europe), while wages in public administration have increased four times (the total budget for 46%), and the ratio between the highest pay and the lowest of 20 to 1 has been reduced by 4 to 1.

Thanks to Minister Rassic (mainly Serbs): 138 new houses have been constructed, and another 13 are under way, 364 families have received construction materials, and the same has been processed for 79 other families, 516 families have received furniture and household appliances, while 887 families with food and toilet products. 2m euros have been earmarked for 224 projects for small- and medium-sized enterprises, 1.7m euros for 147 projects for NGOs, nearly 1.2m euros for 344 projects in education, culture, health and sports, 415 projects have been implemented together with the European Union for Agriculture, Production and Services. We have also implemented several infrastructure projects in Obilic and Kamenica, and have enabled verification of 425 diplomas of the northern University of Mitrovica that its students have access to the labour market throughout Kosovo territory. For the past two and a half years since Nenad Rassic's appointment (Raši) has been invested in a total of over 14m euros in subsidies from the ranks of non-US communities.

Dear citizens,

I'm the prime minister of all. I'm not against any ethnic community. I serve all citizens of our common state. That is why I cannot accept a political party taking over the monopoly of Kosovo Serbs. The pillars of democracy are state law and human rights, but political pluralism as well. Unfortunately, the Serb List in Kosovo insists that only it can determine the importance and meaning of Serbian identity, that only they have the competence of deciding who is Serb and who is not, who is the real Serb and who is the false one. National identity in the republic, such as belonging and background, is the socio-historic creation of modernity, not the medieval horse that is boarded by any narcisoid individual who thinks he is a knight. I understand and accept democratic patriotism, but not authoritarian nationalism. Political parties and their politicians nowhere are the same as people or society.

On 12 October of this year, local elections are held in Kosovo, and the people will vote. Preparations are running, elections will be free and fair. With these elections, heads and asmblists of all 38 municipalities are elected. In this election, it is not voted for release, as the Serbian List states. Deliverance occurred in June 1999 when the army, police, and other forces of Serbia withdrew from Kosovo territory. On 12 October, mayors and future representatives of the municipalities of the Republic of Kosovo are elected. That's all. Who does not respect Kosovo's law and constitutionality, or obstruct implementation will have work with our legal state. I respect them and defend them with all your rights and freedoms, but everyone must be a responsible citizen.

I want to cooperate with you. It is imperative that we strive together for justice and prosperity. Like all other Kosovo citizens, you belong to the services of public institutions, and you deserve equal access to common goods. I engage in unity and equality. Of course, the dualism of the health and educational system is not sustainable. They need information and unification. I don't want to do this against you or without you. During our next mandate, along with all, including future mayors, we will work on health and education in a single system. I believe it's possible to have a legal and just system and that works much better. And we know how necessary big investments are. Within such a process we will join ideas, experiences and forces with our international partners: The European Union and its special representative for dialogue, Quint and KFOR countries.

In the meantime, I urge you not to believe the warmongering screams of senior Belgrade officials for allegedly attacks or positions that the Kosovo government is allegedly preparing against you. Official Belgrade officially lies. The Kosovo government and other state institutions will also protect you from them. Peace and security are our duty.

I wish you health and Support. Thank you for your attention.