Kurti: Dialogue with Serbia will not be a priority

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - The leader of Self-Determination, the party that won the most votes in the Kosovo parliamentary elections, Albin Kurti, assessed that dialogue with Serbia cannot be among the two key priorities of the future Kosovo government, which he included jobs and justice, claiming that this is the platform that brought Self-Determination electoral victory.

In an interview with the Albanian service of Voice of America (VOA), Kurti said that he wants to strengthen the state of Kosovo and make it fully functional, democratic, and sovereign.

"The two main priorities of our government will be jobs and justice; we won precisely on these two counts - jobs and justice," said Kurti, stating that "investments that will increase the number of jobs" will be needed, as well as the rule of law to prevent corruption in institutions.

When asked how he avoids mentioning the political challenge - dialogue with Serbia, reminding him that the European Union and the United States are calling for it to be a priority, Kurti said he believes it will not be among the top priorities.

"Dialogue with Serbia should not be neglected, but I also believe that it cannot be among the two main priorities," said Kurti.

"Even if President Biden asks for it to be a priority?" was the question from Voice of America.

"I believe we will have excellent relations with President Biden. I also believe that the dialogue with Serbia should have a new chapter and move away from the transactional approach of the previous administration - towards a transformative and transatlantic one. I hope that when we sit down with President Biden's teams and the State Department regarding relations with Serbia, we will cooperate well and address this issue properly," said Kurti.

In his assessment, a "firm dialogue should be initiated which should end with a comprehensive agreement," but he reiterated that at the beginning of his prime ministerial term, he will focus primarily on the COVID-19 pandemic, securing vaccines, jobs, and achieving justice.

"I will have a Minister of Foreign Affairs, an official in charge of negotiations, talks, and dialogue, call it whatever you want, with Serbia. But, Kosovo needs to be strengthened as a sovereign state and as a nation most inclined towards the United States. Not just in Europe," Kurti said in an interview with Voice of America.

He predicted that "relations between Kosovo and the US will deepen in terms of political, economic, and military cooperation."