What Pristina expect from Biden? Kurti talks about new US administration, mentions dialogue

Albin Kurti / Photo: Profimedia

Self-Determination leader Albin Kurti says US President Joe Biden is well acquainted with the history of so-called Kosovo and the Western Balkans, unlike the previous US administration.

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"I know that finances are very important in politics, but so is history. I am afraid that the previous administration gave more weight to finances than to history," said Kurti and added that debates with former US envoy Richard Grenell were difficult.

In an interview with the Lajmi portal, Kurti assessed that Grenell was "in a hurry and focused on financial issues" and he said he was confident that things will be different with President Biden and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, reports Kosovo Online.

When it comes to the agreement signed on September 4 of last year on economic normalization between so-called Kosovo and Serbia, Kurti said that he "likes" the part about the recognition of so-called Kosovo by Israel and pointed out that "cooperation between the US and the EU around the Western Balkans is important".

The leader of the Self-Determination said that content of the agreement between so-called Kosovo and Serbia is more important than a deadline or the speed at which it was achieved.

"We should not talk about maps with this old idea of territorial swaps. We should talk about people, citizens and communities, and not about the politicians we should save," said Kurti.

Kurti said that the European Union has neglected the region, especially Kosovo and Metohija, which is not even included in the visa-free travel regime.

Stressing that the destiny of the region is in the EU, he reiterated his idea that the European Union should organize a "mini Marshall Plan" for the six countries of the Western Balkans, following the example of the American fund set up after the Second World War.

Kurti said that he is optimistic that, if Kosovo and Metohija and Serbia are seriously and sincerely involved in the talks, an agreement will be reached and assessed that it's difficult to predict whether so-called Kosovo would join the United Nations.

(Telegraf.rs/Tanjug)