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Kosovo faces calls for coordination with the USA

2024-02-14 18:46:56, Kosova & Bota CNA

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg called on Kosovo and Serbia on Wednesday to refrain from any action that could escalate tensions in the Western Balkans.

He made these comments at a press conference on the eve of the meeting of the Defense Ministers of the member countries of the alliance, amid concerns that have been fueled by the decision of the Kosovo authorities, which prohibits the use of the Serbian dinar for cash payments in areas inhabited by Serbian majority.

"We have seen an increase in tensions in Kosovo and in general in the Western Balkans during the last months. My main message is that all parties should refrain from inflammatory rhetoric and any action that could further escalate tensions in the region. When we talk about Kosovo, the way forward is through the dialogue facilitated by the European Union between Pristina and Belgrade, and I call on both parties to engage in good faith in this dialogue," said Mr. Stoltenberg.

The decision of the Central Bank of Kosovo, according to which the euro is the only currency that can be used for ready payments in Kosovo, came into force on February 1 despite calls from the international community to postpone its implementation.

US Assistant Secretary of State James O'Brien said on Tuesday in an interview for the Voice of America that the United States is very concerned with this decision, underlining that with this attitude, the Kosovo government has called into question the partnership with the United States.

Asked by journalists about these comments, Prime Minister Albin Kurti said today that the authorities in Kosovo are committed to moving forward without punishment or incident towards the formalization and legalization of every transaction in the country. Although he emphasized that the United States represents the most important friend and partner that Kosovo has, he did not imply that he will withdraw from the decision on the dinar.

But, the connoisseur of political developments, Rrahman Paçarizi, says that it is unfortunate that Kosovo has allowed diplomacy to go off the rails and turn into public statements.

"In statements that can be interpreted as threats and as a breakdown of relations and as everything else that I do not believe that the citizens of Kosovo have ever wanted or thought in relation to the United States, although Mr. O'Brien's statement spoke about relations with the government and not with the state or the people of Kosovo, but the government is what represents this state and this people", says Mr. Paçarizi.

The authorities in Kosovo must take action as soon as possible in accordance with international requirements, he says, to prevent these declarations from turning into concrete punitive measures.

"When measures are initiated by the United States of America or by institutions that are led by the United States, then other countries have no problem following those measures. The exclusion of Kosovo from last year's 'Defender' military exercises was a signal to European states that they can take measures against Kosovo and this happened", says Mr. Paçarizi.

He estimates that by turning an internal problem into an international problem, Kosovo is in danger of entering an even more dangerous phase.

"When you make it an international problem, it must become part of the dialogue, and when it becomes part of the dialogue, it becomes part of the compromises. That is, I am afraid that we are entering the phase of establishing the financial system of the Association of municipalities with a Serbian majority, which unfortunately can work with dinars", says Mr. Paçarizi.

The United States and the European Union on several occasions asked the government of Kosovo to suspend the decision of the Central Bank and a sufficient transitional period for its implementation, amid concerns that this issue could incite new tensions.

In a congratulatory message sent to the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vu?i?, on the occasion of the Republic of Serbia's National Day, the US President, Joe Biden, called on Serbia to take steps forward, including compromises when necessary, in order to normalization of relations with Kosovo, within the dialogue mediated by the European Union./ VOA