Escobar: We currently have a communication problem with Prime Minister Kurti

2024-03-13 08:02:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

The US Special Envoy for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, said on Tuesday that "the partnership between the United States and Kosovo is between the American people and the people of Kosovo and does not depend on one person or one party", echoing a the position repeated in recent days by American officials who distinguish between the government and the citizens of Kosovo.

He made these comments in a conversation with journalists from Brussels, from where he began a visit to Europe, during which he is expected to stay in Pristina, to discuss the process of normalizing relations with Serbia and the issue of using the dinar in residential areas. with a Serbian majority.

The United States has requested that Kosovo postpone the implementation of the decision, while they have emphasized that the lack of coordination regarding this issue has affected the quality of the partnership between the two governments.

"I have to say that we currently have a communication problem with the Prime Minister (Albin Kurti) and this is not only a problem of the United States. I think it is a problem in communication that Kosovo has with the European Union, with NATO, with Great Britain, with the United States and many other partners, including Albania and North Macedonia", said Mr. Escobar, emphasizing that the States of The United States has had "a very, very close partnership with Kosovo in the past; we would love to get that kind of relationship back to the way it used to be." Mr. Escobar called on the government of Kosovo to take into account the concerns of the international community regarding the treatment of minorities, while he listed some worrying reasons regarding the implementation of the decision of the Central Bank of Kosovo on the use of the dinar.

"The first is the speed of implementation. We do not discuss the legitimacy of the decision but its implementation. It took almost a year to implement the decision to use the euro, while in the north of Kosovo they want to implement it in less than three weeks. Second, the government did not provide an alternative for people to receive the payments they are entitled to. Two weeks before the announcement of the decision, Kosovo agreed together with the other countries of the Western Balkans on a payment mechanism that will come into force by the end of the year. Fifth, we are trying to convince Kosovo to allow the international community to provide technical assistance to resolve this issue. Kosovo must work with the international community to find a solution for this decision, which was disastrous and incompetent", said Mr. Escobar.

He called on Kosovo to fulfill the legal obligation to establish the Association of Serb-majority municipalities, which according to him would help resolve the dinar issue, while he assured Kosovo that the Association will not be a Serbian Republic nor a state within a state .

American diplomats have warned Pristina that the lack of coordination hinders the commitment of the United States to help Kosovo's progress towards Euro-Atlantic integration. Mr. Escobar said that Kosovo's path to the European Union and NATO passes through the five countries that do not recognize its independence and all of them want to see progress on issues that are in accordance with the dialogue facilitated by the European Union.

"By ignoring the dialogue, Kosovo is ignoring its European partners. It is impossible for us to convince them to move forward towards the further integration of Kosovo. I am very worried that Kosovo is not listening to the American offer for partnership in further and faster integration of Kosovo", said Mr. Escobar.

He called on Kosovo and Serbia to implement all the agreements reached last year in Brussels and Ohrid and to avoid any provocation that could damage the agreements and create more tensions between the two countries.

Independent observers have often pointed out that the American approach to the Western Balkans has changed after the Russian aggression in Ukraine. But Mr. Escobar said the urgency to address challenges to European sustainability has changed. In this context, he said, it is much more urgent to solve some of the challenges in the Western Balkans, and this includes opening the way for Serbia to be more integrated in the Euro-Atlantic structures.

"In doing so, we want to make sure we don't sacrifice our other alliances and partnerships in the region. Kosovo is one of them. Kosovo is a very important partner", he said.

Mr. Escobar, who will also stay in Montenegro, said that the solution to the challenges in the Balkans would close the possibilities for Russia to exploit any instability in the region, to weaken transatlantic security./ Voa