No to partition, yes to cooperation, says Thaci

Kosovo PM Hashim Thaci says his government opposes partition of Kosovo, but is "ready to work with Belgrade". Thaci added that his government wanted to "integrate the Serbs into Kosovo's institutions". No to partition, yes to cooperation, says Thaci “There’s no chance of partition. The international community guarantees Kosovo’s territorial integrity,” he told Vienna daily Wiener Zeitung, adding that the NATO presence in the province was vital for preserving peace and security throughout the region. The Kosovo prime minister said that the North Atlantic Alliance was welcome in the province, as was the new EU mission, EULEX. “Kosovo is an independent and democratic state like all the other countries in the region. I’m very proud to be leading a multi-ethnic government in which two Serbs participate. We respect minority rights and actively wish to encourage them,” he assured. Asked whether it was problematic that the majority Serb north of the province was closer to Belgrade than Pristina, Thaci replied that Kosovo’s capital was Pristina, and that his government wanted the Serbs to enter its institutions. “The only solution for Kosovska Mitrovica is adherence to the Ahtisaari Plan, which envisages the town being split into separate municipal administrations,” said the prime minister. As far as relations with Belgrade were concerned, he stressed that the Kosovo government was willing to cooperate. “Everyone in the world knows who committed genocide in Kosovo. However, we want to look to the future, not the past. That’s why we have no problems with cooperating with the Serbs. We get on superbly with our other neighbors, Albania, Macedonia and Montenegro, and we would like good inter-state relations with Serbia,” stressed Thaci. Asked of the potential consequences if nationalist forces triumphed at the forthcoming Serbian elections, the Kosovo prime minister stressed that “it’s time for Serbian citizens to think more about the future than the past, in the same way that the Pristina authorities are prepared to build good relations.” As regards Kosovo’s hopes for European integration, Thaci said that Kosovo was a de facto candidate for EU and NATO membership. “We’ll use the transitional phase to apply the EU’s democratic criteria. Kosovo will join Euro-Atlantic structures as fast as possible. We have also fostered particularly good relations with the U.S. And, at the last meeting of EU foreign ministers in Slovenia, all the EU member-states treated Kosovo with respect,” he concluded. Hashim Thaci (FoNet, archive)

No to partition, yes to cooperation, says Thaci

“There’s no chance of partition. The international community guarantees Kosovo’s territorial integrity,” he told Vienna daily Wiener Zeitung, adding that the NATO presence in the province was vital for preserving peace and security throughout the region.

The Kosovo prime minister said that the North Atlantic Alliance was welcome in the province, as was the new EU mission, EULEX.

“Kosovo is an independent and democratic state like all the other countries in the region. I’m very proud to be leading a multi-ethnic government in which two Serbs participate. We respect minority rights and actively wish to encourage them,” he assured.

Asked whether it was problematic that the majority Serb north of the province was closer to Belgrade than Priština, Thaci replied that Kosovo’s capital was Priština, and that his government wanted the Serbs to enter its institutions.

“The only solution for Kosovska Mitrovica is adherence to the Ahtisaari Plan, which envisages the town being split into separate municipal administrations,” said the prime minister.

As far as relations with Belgrade were concerned, he stressed that the Kosovo government was willing to cooperate.

“Everyone in the world knows who committed genocide in Kosovo. However, we want to look to the future, not the past. That’s why we have no problems with cooperating with the Serbs. We get on superbly with our other neighbors, Albania, Macedonia and Montenegro, and we would like good inter-state relations with Serbia,” stressed Thaci.

Asked of the potential consequences if nationalist forces triumphed at the forthcoming Serbian elections, the Kosovo prime minister stressed that “it’s time for Serbian citizens to think more about the future than the past, in the same way that the Priština authorities are prepared to build good relations.”

As regards Kosovo’s hopes for European integration, Thaci said that Kosovo was a de facto candidate for EU and NATO membership.

“We’ll use the transitional phase to apply the EU’s democratic criteria. Kosovo will join Euro-Atlantic structures as fast as possible. We have also fostered particularly good relations with the U.S. And, at the last meeting of EU foreign ministers in Slovenia, all the EU member-states treated Kosovo with respect,” he concluded.