QUINT Ambassadors Meet Political Leaders in Kosovo

2025-02-18 15:24:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Ambassadors from several QUINT countries and the European envoy to Kosovo have held separate meetings with the leaders of Albanian political parties in Kosovo, with whom they discussed the next steps after the parliamentary elections on February 9.

QUINT includes the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, and France.

The Head of the European Union Office in Kosovo, Aivo Orav, held separate meetings with the leader of the Vetëvendosje Movement, Albin Kurti, with the leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo, Memli Krasniqi, with the leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo, Lumir Abdixhiku, and with the leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, Ramush Haradinaj.

"I emphasized that the majority of the people in Kosovo aspire to join the EU. The new government must actively pursue reforms in order to achieve this," he wrote in X, after meetings with party leaders.

Regarding the meeting with Ambassador Orav, the Prime Minister's Office said that Kurti spoke with the European official about further steps towards the constitution of the Parliament and the formation of the new Government.

"During the meeting, Ambassador Orav positively assessed the February 9 election process, describing it as orderly and without incidents, and emphasized that it was also positively assessed by Brussels," the press release said.

PDK leader Memli Krasniqi also met with the French ambassador, Olivier Guerot, and the United Kingdom ambassador, Jonathan Hargreaves.

"The PDK considers the vote an expression of political maturity and supports the rapid formation of a functional and responsible government. Regardless of our political position, the interest of Kosovo and its citizens remains our main guide forward," Krasniqi wrote on Facebook, after meeting with the French ambassador.

Meanwhile, the LDK said that Abdixhiku and the head of the EU Office in Kosovo, Orav, discussed the entity's positions regarding the electoral process.

"President Abdixhiku emphasized that the LDK fully respects the citizen's will expressed during this electoral process and also expects the Central Electoral Commission to close the process of counting and certifying the results as soon as possible, emphasizing that it is very important that this process be completed in a democratic manner and avoiding any further delays," the LDK statement said.

The Chargé d'Affaires at the US Embassy in Pristina, Anu Prattipati, met with the leader of AAK, Ramush Haradinaj, with whom she discussed the electoral process, current political developments in Kosovo, and the partnership between the two countries.

"I expressed my deep gratitude for the continued support that the US has provided to Kosovo over the years. This strong partnership constitutes the best guarantee for Kosovo's secure future and the long-term stability of the region," Haradinaj wrote on Facebook, after meeting with Prattipati.

In the regular parliamentary elections of February 9, according to preliminary results, LVV came first with 40.84 percent of the votes, followed by PDK with 22.5 percent, LDK with 17.67 percent and the AAK-Nisma coalition with 7.45 percent.

Neither party has secured the necessary votes to form a government – ??as the votes of 61 deputies in the 120-seat Assembly are needed – so political experts have warned that Kosovo could face political turbulence in the coming days and weeks.

The opposition parties, PDK and AAK, have said that they prefer to cooperate with the parties currently in opposition to form the new executive, while the LDK has said that it is waiting for the final vote count to offer its political positions.

Votes for candidates for MPs are currently being counted, while conditional votes, votes from people with special needs, and votes from the diaspora are expected to be counted later./ REL