Kurti: Not the First Time I’ve Disagreed with Borrell

Josep Borrell, Albin Kurti, Brussels,July 19 (BETAPHOTO/European Council/GAETAN CLAESSENS/DS)

Kosovo Premier Albin Kurti on Nov. 23 said that the latest difference of opinion between him and EU High Representative Josep Borrell was “not the first” noting that they had had disagreements also earlier.

Speaking to a news conference after a Kosovo government’s session, Kurti said he had traveled to Brussels on Nov. 21 for an agreement with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, which, he said, had envisaged that the dialogue on normalization of relations should end before March 2023, which had been stated in the EU invitation to the Nov. 21 meeting.

“It was not me who set March 2023 as the deadline, Brussels wrote it in the invitation. The invitation from Brussels, which should have eventually been made public, contains a paragraph saying that the negotiations shall end in March 2023,” Kurti said, adding he had requested that an agreement be reached in February, but the EU officials had said it was not possible before March.

“I requested that it happens in February, the sooner the better. They said ‘no,” and did not propose February, but March. I said February, they said March, but they have put it all aside. What can I do? March is not my idea, but they did not even include that on the agenda, there was no sense to have only license plates on the agenda,” Kurti said. He added that the issue of license plates had been discussed by the team of (Kosovo) Deputy Premier Besnik Bislimi for six months now.