Hovenier: Disagreements about the dinar have affected the quality of the Kosovo-US partnership

2024-02-15 20:35:05, Kosova & Bota CNA

Hovenier: Disagreements about the dinar have affected the quality of the

The American ambassador in Pristina, Jeff Hovenier

The American ambassador in Pristina, Jeff Hovenier, said on Thursday that the lack of coordination between the Kosovo government and the United States regarding the regulation banning the Serbian dinar has already affected the quality of the partnership between the two governments.

In a press conference, Ambassador Hovenier emphasized the criticism made to the government of Kosovo by US Assistant Secretary of State James O'Brien during an interview for the Voice of America two days ago, in which he said that the government of Kosovo has questioned partnership with the United States.

"I am concerned with the statements after this interview that suggest that relations between Kosovo and the United States have not been affected and cannot be affected by this situation. I must be clear, this is simply not true, this is simply not the case. As Mr. O'Brien said, this situation has already affected the quality of the partnership between our two governments. Any other interpretation represents a fundamental misunderstanding, a misinterpretation of the importance we attach to the resolution of this issue," he said.

The regulation of the Central Bank of Kosovo, according to which the euro is the only currency that can be used for ready payments in Kosovo, came into force on February 1 despite calls from the international community to postpone its implementation.

Asked by journalists about Mr. O'Brien's comments, on Wednesday Prime Minister Albin Kurti, although he emphasized that the United States represents the most important friend and partner that Kosovo has, did not imply that he will withdraw from the decision on the dinar.

Ambassador Hovenier said today that the United States expects the government to listen to their advice and act on Western demands.

"We hope that Prime Minister Kurti's government will also commit as a partner to solve this issue together, instead of taking unilateral actions in direct opposition to our demands. We are concerned, I would even say frustrated, that Prime Minister Kurti's government has not done this, and any suggestion that things are okay and that we are all in peace with each other, is simply untrue. We're concerned, we're frustrated, and I think Mr. O'Brien's tone during the interview reflects that very, very clearly," he said.

The American ambassador said that the implementation of the regulation should be postponed until a procedure is established that enables Serbia to transfer funds in accordance with the regulations of the Central Bank of Kosovo and European standards and good governance practices.

"The mechanism to conduct this conversation is the dialogue mediated by the European Union, we have said this, the European Union has said this, a number of members in the Security Council have said this no further than last week. So I don't understand why some people would like it to be different, but I'm telling them how it is according to our expectations," he said.

The objections surrounding the implementation of the Central Bank's regulation have raised concerns in Kosovo about the impact they may have on relations with the United States of America and other international partners, who have continuously requested its postponement. Those familiar with the political developments in the country say that the authorities in Kosovo should take action as soon as possible in accordance with international requirements to prevent statements from turning into concrete punitive measures./ VOA