EL PERIÓDICO, from the Prensa Ibérica group, interviewed the Kosovar president in Pristina on the 15th anniversary of the unilateral declaration of independence
In the room where Vjosa Osmani He usually does the interviews in the presidential palace in Pristina are framed in gold moldings -a color quite present in the place-, the photographs of the six presidents he has had Kosovo from unilateral declaration of independence, of which this February 17 marks the 15th anniversary. The first is Ibrahim Rugova, the intellectual leader who promoted a pacifist secession, and the last one is precisely Osmani. But right before her is Hashim Thaci, a sinister Kosovar Albanian guerrilla fighter who was remembered by the world three years ago when he was indicted by the war crimes tribunal in The Hague for war crimes during the 1998-1999 Kosovar Albanian uprising against Serbia. “I don’t like being there too much. But I haven’t touched anything. I just put my photograph,” the president clarifies, snorting.
Osmani, who succeeded Thaçi for a brief period after his resignation, was reappointed president in 2021; At 40 years old, she was also one of the most voted politicians in Kosovo’s short history, which marked a turning point in the face of the older generation that made the war. Osmani, who studied Law at the University of Pittsburgh (USA), is aware of this, as well as that her small country has a much greater weight than its size due to the struggle that the West and Russiathe neighbor’s ally of opportunity Serbian and that it does not recognize Kosovo as a country either. Perhaps for this reason, as soon as this interview began, Moscow sneaks into the conversation several times, while pointing with open animosity at Serbia, a country with which the negotiations being pushed by the EU seem incendiary, impossible, ruthless and far removed from a final solution.
15 years ago the declaration of independence. Serbia, Russia and five member countries of the European Union (EU) do not recognize Kosovo.
I would not put Russia and Serbia in the same group as the five EU countries. Russia and Serbia do not recognize Kosovo because they have hegemonic and imperialist ideas. Serbia wants to see us, Bosnia Herzegovina, Montenegro and other countries, as temporary states and go back to the 1990s through its territorial claims. As for the five countries that have not recognized Kosovo, I believe that we are on the right track and a solution will be found. The independence of Kosovo is an irreversible fact, so we are here to continue being an independent and sovereign country, it is only a matter of time how quickly some countries formalize their decision to recognize us.
Are you in favor of the union of Kosovo with Albania?
We have sacrificed and worked for an independent and sovereign Kosovo and my work will continue to be dedicated solely to an independent and sovereign Kosovo. The declaration of independence and the constitution of the Republic of Kosovo are the beginning and the end of everything I do.
The war ended, but the shooting did not. Is there a danger of a new escalation?
There was only one party that was shooting in the 90s and there is only one party that is shooting now and that is Serbia. Serbia is the only source of instability in the Western Balkans. Serbia serves the interests of (Russian President Vladimir) Putin and Russia to destabilize the Western Balkans so that we fight against the value-based systems that are the European Union and NATO. Because Russia knows, and historically this has been its interest, that if the Western Balkans are destabilized, there cannot be a united, free and peaceful Europe.
Is the war in Ukraine putting pressure on this region?
Russia is pressing through Serbia. Since February 24, efforts by Russia and Serbia to destabilize the region have increased.
Kosovo has a large US military base, is Washington its best ally?
Washington is the most important and strategic ally of the Republic of Kosovo and we consider this alliance essential to preserve the peace and security we have achieved, as well as to defend our freedom and independence. Of course, in addition to Washington there are many European and non-European nations, democracies from around the world that have come together to defend basic freedoms in Kosovo, against tyranny and against genocide. I believe that the success of Kosovo is the greatest success of the foreign policy of these democracies, of the Western democracies, and that is how it should be seen today as well. That’s why Putin hates it, he hates the success of Kosovo. So yes, Washington is our existential ally.
Do you trust Europe?
If we didn’t trust Europe, we wouldn’t try so hard to join the rest of the European nations. Sometimes I think that some of the methods they choose against Serbia are not the right ones, because historically they have proven to be wrong. For example, I do not agree with the active appeasement policy that many in the European Union, not all to be exact, but many, employ with Serbia because the methods of appeasement towards autocrats have proven to bring more devastation and not more peace. or stability.
There are many rumors about the dialogue with Serbia.
The process has never stopped. Right now the so-called “route diplomacy” is taking place, in which the negotiators travel, sometimes to Pristina, sometimes to Belgrade, and negotiate with each other separately.