Kosovo political leaders welcomed a joint Statement of Special Presidential Envoy Richard Grenell, Ambassador Philip Kosnett, and Special Representative for the Western Balkans Matthew Palmer on Kosovo saying that there is no secret plan for land swaps between Kosovo and Serbia, as some have speculated.
The statement comes a day after Kosovo Parliament ousted Albin Kurti’s Government who said among other things that country’s president Hashim Thaci and his Serbian counterpart Aleksandar Vucic have drafted an agreement which includes exchange of territories. Kosovo president Thaci welcomed the statement of US Ambassadors for the “reassuring statement” that there will be no land swap. “We must use the momentum and support of the US to relaunch dialogue and reach a final agreement on mutual recognition and UN membership. Fake news and speculations are a permanent threat to this aim,” Thaci said in Twitter.
Leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) Isa Mustafa said the statement of US officials refutes speculations of a secret plan on land swap between Kosovo and Serbia accusing thus indirectly he Vetevendosje and its leader Albin Kurti who on Wednesday mentioned existence of such a plan. It was Mustafa’s party – the LDK which initiated a motion of no-confidence in Albin Kurti’s Government partially because Kurti refused to abolish tariffs as requested by the United States. The LDK leader asked PM Kurti to drop 100 percent tariffs on Serbian goods unconditionally as requested by Washington and not replace tariffs with reciprocity measures as proposed by Kurti. This disagreement was one of the reasons which led to ousting of Government only 50 days of work. “Losers who blamed the US for their inactions, tonight should apologise to all citizens of Kosovo and our friends for their continuous served constructions and unscrupulous insult towards LDK and their leaders,” Mustafa said.
Former prime minister and leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, Ramush Haradinaj, in a Facebook post said the statement of the US senior officials that there is no secret plan on land swaps, is an assurance and a guarantee for Kosovo to move forward. “Our relations with America are eternal. The White House and Washington are sacred temple of our freedom and independence. God bless Amerika and its people. God bless Kosovo and its people,” Haradinaj wrote.
Member of the Democraitc Party of Kosovo (PDK), Memli Krasniqi, reacting to the US statement on Kosovo said that caretaker PM Kurti has lied people of Kosovo from Parliament’s podium that his government will be dismissed because of a “secret agreement” between Kosovo and Serbia. “Now tell me, is it Albin who is lying or America? Choosing between the two, every Albanian would believe America before any political, let alone Albin,” Krasniqi wrote. /GazetaExpress/