The spokesperson for the Government of Kosovo, Përparim Kryeziu, has reacted to the decision of the United States of America to indefinitely suspend the Strategic Dialogue with Kosovo.
Through a post on social media, Kryeziu stated that the government led by Prime Minister Albin Kurti has taken steps with the aim of guaranteeing long-term and sustainable stability in the country.
He also emphasized that Prime Minister Kurti's criticisms of the Constitutional Court were made in reaction to decisions that, according to him, have violated the democratic character of the Republic of Kosovo.
Finally, Kryeziu underlined that this is the first government to have completed a full mandate since the declaration of Kosovo's independence.
Kryeziu's reaction:
Our government has been the first to fulfill its full mandate since the declaration of independence. This has contributed to the institutional stability and socio-economic development of the country, despite all the global challenges we have experienced since 2021, including the consequences of the pandemic, the energy crisis, and the war in Ukraine.
Our actions, legal and constitutional, have always been in the service of eliminating sources of instability in order to guarantee sustainable and long-term stability. The stability we enjoy today is a natural result of the rule of law and public order. In Kosovo, there has never been more rule of law and the fight against crime and corruption throughout the territory of Kosovo. In the past, stability was aimed at the expense of the rule of law and public order, consequently we have had false stability. This is best evidenced in the violent events and protests of May 2023 in which individuals and criminal groups did not even spare members of KFOR and EULEX in their attacks. Meanwhile, the terrorist and paramilitary attack in Banjska in September of that same year, with the direct involvement of the state of Serbia, has revealed to the whole world who and where is actually the source of instability in the region. We express our deep conviction that the Republic of Kosovo is the most serious partner of the United States of America for stability, security, and peace in the region.
We have depoliticized the integration of Serbs into the state of Kosovo. The will of our fellow citizens for integration has never been lacking. But it has often been challenged and suppressed by illegal structures and criminal groups. We have confronted the structures of Serbia in Kosovo, not the Serbs of Kosovo. We have never equated Serbian citizens in Kosovo with the illegal and parallel structures of Serbia in Kosovo. On the contrary, we have protected and are protecting our fellow Serbian citizens from these same structures that have long been used as mechanisms and instruments of intimidation, threat and control. At the same time, by replacing them with the institutions of the Republic of Kosovo, we have ensured that there is no vacuum of services. We are also committed to the sustainable integration of Serbs into our society and institutions, especially through employment and education, as is the case with the employment measure for residents of four municipalities in the north of the country and the verification of diplomas from the University of Mitrovica in the north with the aim of facilitating the employment of fellow citizens from the Serbian community, in addition to other and numerous social measures that directly benefit members of this community.
As for the Prime Minister's public criticism of the Constitutional Court, his open position is that with its decisions, the Constitutional Court has violated the democratic character of the independent Republic, and that with its inefficiency in handling cases, it has become a co-participant in the agenda of opposition political parties to delay the fundamental reforms foreseen in the government program. We recall that there are currently 18 laws still without a decision from the Constitutional Court, which have been awaiting review for at least 9 months, with emphasis on the Law on the Sovereign Fund, which has been without a response for more than 1 year and 8 months.
We are always grateful for the contribution and commitment of the United States of America to our country and we thank the United States of America for its support and assistance to the state of Kosovo and our people in so many areas. We also welcome criticism. Whenever it is concrete, we try our best to improve and correct our steps and actions.
