"Report no influence on U.S.-Kosovo relations"

An American official in Pristina said on Tuesday his country's ties with the government there "would remain the same". Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. embassy Michael Murphy spoke in the context of the Council of Europe (CoE) rapporteur Dick Marty's report presented last week. "Report no influence on U.S.-Kosovo relations" In it, Kosovo Albanian Prime Minister Hashim Thaci was named as the boss of a criminal KLA group that engaged in kidnapping Serb and other civilians in Kosovo, and trafficking in their body parts, as well as in weapons and drugs. "I think that the State Department stated very clearly that Marty's report would not affect the U.S.-Kosovo relations. The U.S. remains a strong partner of Kosovo," Murphy told journalists in the Serb enclave of Gracanica. The U.S. emphasized the need of veritable evidences to prove the allegations from Marty's report, Murphy said. "EULEX has already announced that they will work on the issue and cooperate with competent authorities in order to carry out a comprehensive investigation, and I think it is quite clear that Kosovo's government and people will assist in the process," Murphy noted. He stated that the U.S. and the people and government in Pristina share the same goal-a Kosovo that represents a modern, democratic, and multiethnic society and is part of the European family of nations. As regards Thaci's recent interview with the Pristina-based Albanian language daily Express where he claimed that Marty's allegations were not directed only against him, but also against the United States and other international partners of Kosovo, Murphy said that he "knew nothing about that". "I know nothing about Thaci's statement. We have the report, and now we are waiting for Marty to make the next step and forward it to the competent authorities," the U.S. diplomat underlined.

"Report no influence on U.S.-Kosovo relations"

In it, Kosovo Albanian Prime Minister Hashim Thaci was named as the boss of a criminal KLA group that engaged in kidnapping Serb and other civilians in Kosovo, and trafficking in their body parts, as well as in weapons and drugs.

"I think that the State Department stated very clearly that Marty's report would not affect the U.S.-Kosovo relations. The U.S. remains a strong partner of Kosovo," Murphy told journalists in the Serb enclave of Gračanica.

The U.S. emphasized the need of veritable evidences to prove the allegations from Marty's report, Murphy said.

"EULEX has already announced that they will work on the issue and cooperate with competent authorities in order to carry out a comprehensive investigation, and I think it is quite clear that Kosovo's government and people will assist in the process," Murphy noted.

He stated that the U.S. and the people and government in Pristina share the same goal-a Kosovo that represents a modern, democratic, and multiethnic society and is part of the European family of nations.

As regards Thaci's recent interview with the Priština-based Albanian language daily Express where he claimed that Marty's allegations were not directed only against him, but also against the United States and other international partners of Kosovo, Murphy said that he "knew nothing about that".

"I know nothing about Thaci's statement. We have the report, and now we are waiting for Marty to make the next step and forward it to the competent authorities," the U.S. diplomat underlined.