The Foreign Minister of Kosovo criticizes the EU/Without the US and NATO, "paper tiger"

2023-07-09 08:28:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

The Foreign Minister of Kosovo criticizes the EU/Without the US and NATO, Kosovo's Foreign Minister, Donika Gërvalla, said on Saturday that she saw the United States and NATO, the European Union as a 'paper tiger' in terms of security, prompting reactions from American and European envoys as well as the opposition at home. .

During a speech within the Dubrovnik Forum, Minister Gërvalla said that the essential issue for security in the Western Balkans is whether the EU can guarantee security and peace in Europe.

"My assessment is that the EU cannot. Because it is not able and able to provide security. The reasons are obvious: there is no political will, there is a lot of disagreement in the bloc and without the United States and NATO, the EU is a 'paper tiger' in terms of security", said Ms. Gërvalla. During her speech she added that Europe has no history of success in trying to prevent wars.

"We need a new strategy and new people trying to find a better way. Unlike others, we are not trying to use the EU as a moneylender. We are more for European values ??than for European money", said Minister Gërvalla.

Escobar: Everything positive that has happened in the Balkans is a combination of EU-US cooperation

The American envoy, Gabriel Escobar, said that unlike Minister Gërvalla, he thinks that "everything positive that has happened in the Balkans was a combination of the cooperation of the European Union and the United States".

Mr. Escobar said that the Western Balkan region has been divided into two paths; one with the states in NATO that are much more stable, contributing to regional stability and set on the path to European integration, and the other with those that are consuming the attention and resources of others in the region as they grapple with their own challenges."

According to him, the essential differences are that the countries that are part of NATO and that have experienced the greatest developments are the ones that have overcome the challenges of ethnic rivalries. Those who continue to have leadership who believe that populism, nationalism and ethnic rivalries are the way forward, are the ones facing the most challenges."

Lajcak: The EU is not perfect - but it is the dream of the states that knock on its doors

European envoy Miroslav Lajcak said that the European Union is far from perfect but "it is the best we have. It is the most successful union of states. There is no other union on this planet that has provided better political and economic stability. I think that EU membership is a dream of the countries that are knocking on the bloc's door," he said.

The government of Kosovo has been criticized by Western diplomacy and has been put under punitive measures by the European Union due to the tensions in its north where groups of Serbian protesters took to the streets opposing the placement in municipal offices of the Albanian mayors who emerged from the April 23 elections. boycotted by Serbian parties.

The West wants to reduce tensions through a European plan that foresees the suspension of police operations in the north, the relocation of mayors to alternative offices and the announcement of early elections with the unconditional participation of Kosovo Serbs.

The Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, has expressed himself in favor of holding new elections and reducing the presence of special police units in the north, in addition to establishing the rule of law.

While Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said that the unfulfilled issue is the "simultaneous withdrawal of mayors and people who are around the municipal buildings", referring to the Serbian protesters.

Reactions in Kosovo after Minister Gërvalla's speech

Representatives of the opposition in Kosovo criticized Minister Gërvalla's speech, calling her statement about the EU "irresponsible".

"For reference, Mao Zedong called the USA a 'paper tiger'," wrote the vice president of the Democratic Party of Kosovo, Vlora Çitaku, on social networks.

The spokesperson of the Democratic League, Sibel Halimi, described the diplomatic situation in Kosovo as "miserable and dangerous".

The Secretary General of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, Muharrem Nitaj, wrote, among other things, that "the least that would be needed is a statement by the President and the Prime Minister clarifying that what the Foreign Minister has said is not an official position of Republic of Kosovo".

The opposition harshly criticized the Kosovo government for damaging relations with allies, warning of actions to oppose the government's approach to the crisis in the north of the country./VOA