Skopje, 1 March 2023 (MIA) - Normalization of relations between Pristina and Belgrade can be achieved through mutual recognition, Kosovo's Prime Minister Albin Kurti told the second Skopje Economic Forum on Wednesday. 

"Normalization of relations can be achieved through mutual recognition. As President Biden, Secretary Blinken, Chancellor Scholz said, mutual recognition is the essence and central point of full normalization of relations, and we are trying and working hard to have as a basis the EU proposal that was presented to me and to the president of Serbia. We accepted the text of that proposal, we gave it support in both capitals as well as in Brussels," said Kurti. 

As regards EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell's announcement that the next high-level meeting for dialogue on the normalization of relations will be held in Skopje, Kurti said Borrell's choice was because Skopje is the largest city closest to Pristina, but also because it is about a big impact on the whole region on the part of the country. North Macedonia, he added, is a country that is progressing in terms of democracy, law and European integration. 

Asked about the geopolitics and the impact of Russian aggression against Ukraine on the region, he said it is the result of Putin's imperialist ambitions and while in Ukraine a real war and aggression is being waged, in other countries, he noted, we have a hybrid war that seeks to destabilize the regions, to disrupt the territorial integrity and at the same time expand the hegemony of the Kremlin. The consequences of that war in our countries are multifaceted, he said pointing to inflation and high energy prices as a direct consequence of Russian aggression.

"Peace in Ukraine means peace and security for the whole continent," Kurti said.  

Regarding whether citizens can expect changes in terms of the EU from the talks between Belgrade and Pristina, as well as regarding the Berlin process, Kurti expressed his belief that with the signing of the three agreements in Berlin, last year on November 3 under the chairmanship of Chancellor Scholz, the Berlin Process seemed to get a new start in terms of its implementation.

He said the the government has passed the three laws and they were all ratified in the Parliament, noting that Pristina was the first to do that in  the region. 

"We are looking forward to their implementation which would be to the benefit of all citizens. This is a concrete example of how the EU is working for the good of the region and all citizens," Kosovo's PM said. 

Photo: MIA Archive