President Vjosa Osmani, in a statement to the media in Copenhagen where the European Political Community Summit is being held, had some criticisms and suggestions about the European Union and its approach towards Serbia, which is not hiding its good relations with Russia.
"For the European Union, I would like to say: history shows us that appeasing dictators and autocrats never leads to lasting peace. On the contrary, it only encourages them to escalate violence," she said while speaking about the war in Ukraine, Gazeta Express reports.
Osmani said her call for the EU is to be careful how it treats Russia's satellites in the Western Balkans and not to coddle them.
She recalled the terrorist attack in Banjska and said that despite the EU demanding accountability, this did not happen.
"We just marked two years of active Serbian aggression in the north of my country. The EU has repeatedly demanded accountability, but there has been none. It is time for them to move from words to deeds."
Here Osmani was asked if he thinks EU leaders are hypocrites.
“No. I’m not saying they are hypocrites. I believe their intentions are good. But history should be taken as a lesson. And especially the history of how Putin has been treated shows us that coddling people like Putin has never led to lasting peace. Vučić has tried to copy Putin by using aggression and destabilizing tactics against neighbors. For this reason, it is very important that member states understand that rewarding Serbia for standing with Russia is not the right way forward. Countries that are 100% aligned with the EU should be rewarded – not those that have chosen Moscow as the way forward.”
"Today, Europe faces two main security threats. One is Russia, clearly. The other, especially in our region, is Russia's proxy and extension – Serbia. The EU cannot treat one as an aggressor and dictator and the other as a partner for peace. Consistency is essential."
"Which is the biggest problem for you, Serbia or Russia?" Osmani was asked.
“In fact, it is a combination of both. Serbia has long treated its neighbors as temporary or non-existent states, acting aggressively against them. This is a “copy-paste” of Russia’s playbook. Unfortunately, Russia supports Serbia in this issue. For centuries they have used the same concept. Russia talks about “Greater Russia” and the “Russian world.” Serbia talks about “Greater Serbia” and the “Serbian world.” For us, both are threats,” Osmani said.
She added that it should be borne in mind that there is never a vacuum of influence in the Western Balkans region.
"If there is no positive Western presence, the void is always filled by bad actors – Russia, China and Iran. They do not come with charity, but with harmful strategic interests. This is why it is so important that the enlargement process should move forward. The Western Balkan countries that meet the criteria and that support the EU's values should be advanced in this process."
Osmani said that Kosovo will be a contributor to the EU and not a burden to it.
"Among all members – not only within the European Union, but also those of us who are outside the EU but who aspire to join and contribute to the security, stability and overall prosperity of Europe – I must emphasize that unity alone is not enough. We also need consistency in confronting aggressors and dictators."
Osmani was also asked about the previous failure to apply for EU membership and whether he continues to believe that there is still a path for Kosovo towards the EU and what the timeline is for this.
She said that the EU is the only path for Kosovo, while also pointing to the high figures of 97% of Kosovo citizens who want EU membership.
Osmani said that due to some member states, Kosovo's application has not yet been processed and added that his patience has not run out since Kosovo will never flirt with other powers with malicious intentions.
"Kosovo is a country that, according to Gallup International just a few days ago, is first in Europe for security, protection and rule of law, and third in the world. We are very proud to be a country that is getting closer to the EU in foreign and security policy and a country that is contributing to what the EU values are. For this reason, I cannot give a timeline because it does not depend on us. Everything that has depended on us has already been fulfilled, but if more is required of us, we will do more. The rest depends on the member states and we hope that you, as the media, will exert positive pressure on them to support a country that has truly contributed to these EU values."
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