BERLIN / PRISTINA – German Chancellor Angela Merkel offered support to the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, in the fight against corruption, and promised to consider supporting Kosovo in the crisis with coronavirus, Radio Free Europe reports.
Merkel and Kurti spoke on the phone about bilateral relations, Kosovo’s rapprochement with European reforms and the situation in the region, spokesmen of the German Chancellor and the Kosovo government stated.
“Chancellor Merkel offered Prime Minister Kurti support in the fight against corruption for a broad and ambitious reform program in the country. In this regard, the Federal Government offered specific advice from German experts”, reads the joint statement.
The EU-mediated dialogue on the normalization of Kosovo-Serbia relations was also discussed, as well as 100 percent tariffs on goods from Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina introduced by the then Kosovo government in 2018.
“The Chancellor welcomed the proposal by the Prime Minister of Kosovo to completely abolish tariffs from April 1, following the abolition of the tariff on raw materials last week”, the joint statement reads.
Merkel supported the EU-mediated dialogue “aimed at removing all trade and tariff barriers between Serbia and Kosovo.”
“They both believe that there should be no obstacle in relations between Kosovo and Serbia. The German Chancellor and the Prime Minister of Kosovo support the resumption of dialogue on normalization of relations”, reads the statement.