Kurti: Those who cooperate with the persons who are on the black list should be sanctioned

2024-10-05 15:00:09, Kosova & Bota CNA

Kurti: Those who cooperate with the persons who are on the black list should be

Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti

The Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, has called on the West to sanction all the people he said communicate and cooperate with the blacklisted people in the Western Balkans.

During the speech at the General Council of his party, Lévizja Vetëvendosje, Kurti said that Serbia should also be given "current benefits".

"Therefore, to the democratic West, in particular the European Union, the United States of America, the United Kingdom, we call on Serbia to condition the current benefits, not only the future ones from the EU, the USA and the United Kingdom . Those who cooperate with blacklisted persons in the Balkans should be sanctioned by the USA, the EU and the United Kingdom. Those who are members of the organizations 'Civil Defense' and 'North Brigade'. Otherwise, the criminals who walk free, otherwise the blacklists, are not effective", Kurti said.

The organizations "Civil Defense" and "Northern Brigade" were declared terrorist organizations by the Government of Kosovo in June of last year.

Kurti said that the black list should give "results through the sanctioning of all those who communicate and cooperate with them".

He demanded that Millan Radoicic and the members of his group be handed over to the Kosovo authorities, whom Kosovo accuses of organizing the armed attack on the Kosovo Police last September.

In Banjska, on September 24, 2023, a group of armed Serbs killed a Kosovo policeman. During the exchange of fire, three Serbian attackers were also killed.

Millan Radoicic, a politician and businessman from the north of Kosovo, took responsibility for the attack. The authorities in Kosovo have filed an indictment against him and 44 other people for the case in Banjska i Zveçani.

Only three accused persons have been arrested in Kosovo and Radoicic and others are on the run. Radoicic is believed to be in Serbia.

The US and the EU have also demanded that all those involved in the armed attack in Banjska face justice.

Kurti also accused Serbia of not respecting the agreements reached within the dialogue mediated by the European Union. He also defended the actions of the Kosovo authorities in the north of the country, which the international community has described as unilateral and uncoordinated.

"Those who complain about our unilateral actions are complaining why we declared independence, they are complaining why we won at the International Court of Justice, they are complaining why the supervision of independence ended. The rule of law for the sovereign state is like breathing," Kurti said.

The government of Kosovo has said earlier that the actions in the north - including the closure of institutions that have operated on the basis of the Serbian system, the ban on the use of the Serbian dinar for cash payments and other actions - are within the scope of sovereignty and law enforcement.

The Kosovar Prime Minister also demanded that the land security zone be restored on the border between Kosovo and Serbia.

"Since within two years, Serbia has brought its army to our border four times, the land security area 5 kilometers wide around the border of Kosovo must be restored. It was removed in August 2001. This is now being misused by the regime of Aleksandar Vu?i?, who is bringing artillery, additional troops, Chinese anti-aircraft system inside this 5-kilometer belt", said Kurti.

The NATO peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, KFOR, is responsible for security on the border between Kosovo and Serbia. Meanwhile, the rest of the border line is supervised by the Kosovo Police./ REL