President Vjosa Osmani received today the French Special Envoy for the Western Balkans, Ambassador René Troccaz, and discussed political developments in Kosovo and regional security.
Madam President reiterated Kosovo’s strategic orientation towards integration into the European Union and NATO, as well as its unwavering commitment to membership in the Council of Europe, emphasizing that reforms, the rule of law and compliance with European standards remain the main priorities.
Madam President emphasized that Kosovo is committed to political stability and the full democratic functioning of institutions, citing the election of the Speaker of the Assembly and the majority of deputy speakers as key steps in this direction.
Regarding the opening of the new bridge over the Ibër river and the continuation of the construction of an additional bridge, President Osmani emphasized that she welcomes their construction, highlighting the positive role that bridges play in the integration, unification and rapprochement of citizens, through facilitating movement, cooperation and transport. She further recalled that the closure of the main bridge in Mitrovica in 1999 was not made for security reasons but due to extremely harmful political decisions and that it is regrettable that 26 years after the closure and now 10 years after the Brussels agreement to open the bridge, it remains closed. She added that it is not the bridges that create tensions, but violent people, such as illegal criminal structures financed by Serbia, which have created violence and tensions over these decades. “It is the criminal and destabilizing activity of Radojcic and criminal groups in the north that hindered normality and free movement, creating an atmosphere of fear and tension, not the bridges,” she emphasized. Madam President also explained that these illegal criminal structures are solely responsible for the violence and tensions, and not the infrastructure that is being built to unite communities.
Regarding the European Union’s restrictive measures against Kosovo, President Osmani said that, in addition to being unjust, these measures unreasonably hit the citizens of Kosovo and their well-being and also harm the democratic processes and development of the country, as well as damage the credibility of the EU-led dialogue.
In conclusion, Madam President reaffirmed Kosovo’s readiness to be a reliable partner in strengthening peace, stability and regional cooperation.
