PRISTINA – Acting Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said that the document on the renewal of the air link between Belgrade and Pristina must go through many other steps in order to become an agreement, but that due to the pandemic, the issue, like many others, is “frozen”, RTS reports.
Albin Kurti states that the final version of the agreement was presented to him late, when, as he says, the negotiations and drafting were completed.
“I can say that we are in favor of greater regional cooperation, but that regional cooperation must keep in mind two basic things: first, constitutionality and legality, and second, economic profitability. All our cooperation, which includes economic cooperation, must be useful and sustainable,” Kurti said during a visit to the Civil Aviation Authority in Pristina.
According to him, the letter on the renewal of the air link between Belgrade and Pristina, signed with the mediation of Richard Grenell, US Special Envoy, “is not an agreement, but an expression of will, which must go through many other steps.”
Grenell wants a quick agreement between Belgrade and Pristina
Kurti also stated during an online conversation with Harvard University that Grenell wants to reach an agreement between Belgrade and Pristina quickly, commenting that he is not interested in the content of the document, KoSSev reports.
“Grenell asked for a quick agreement and my impression is that he did not want harm for the Albanian people and Kosovo, but when you need to do something quickly, you try to put pressure,” Kurti said.
He added that Grenell told him in October that he “wanted an agreement in February, and now he wants an agreement to be reached by September”.
“We should not rush. The dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina should be well prepared with the mediation of the EU and the USA, because when the USA is involved, there is mediation, and when there is only the EU, then you have ‘facilitation’”, Kurti pointed out during an online conversation with Harvard University.
Lajčák had a “very good” conversation with Kurti
EU Special Representative for Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue Miroslav Lajčák spoke with Kurti and stated on Twitter that he had a “very good” conversation with Albin Kurti.
Very good 📞 call with acting-PM @albinkurti. Topics discussed:
👉 progress made on containing spread of #COVID19
👉 current political situation & possible developments
👉 expectations for resumption of Dialogue with real European perspective
👉 need for visa liberalization— Miroslav Lajčák (@MiroslavLajcak) May 18, 2020
“Topics discussed: progress made on containing spread of COVID-19, current political situation and possible developments, expectations for resumption of Dialogue with real European perspective and need for visa liberalization”, stated Lajčák.