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Kosovo President Hashim Thaci said Wednesday that Kosovo will not attend the meeting.
“The mutual support and cooperation between Kosovo and Albania is natural and permanent. However, unlike the Republic of Albania, the Republic of Kosovo continues to have serious obstacles in consolidating its statehood. Unfortunately, the main obstacle comes from Serbia, which in all its forms and possibilities, undermines constantly our efforts to consolidate our statehood,” President Thaçi wrote on social media.
“Servia has committed genocide against the citizens of the Republic of Kosovo and today not only denies the crimes committed but continues to deny the existence of our state. In such a situation, calls and initiatives for regional cooperation are completely meaningless. Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina do not recognize the state of Kosovo. This means that these two countries do not want good neighborly relations and cooperation with Kosovo. Therefore, as long as there is no mutual recognition with these states, there can be no progress in terms of regional cooperation. After all, Kosovo aims for NATO and EU membership rather than becoming part of regional experimental initiatives, which are the result of the EU's inability to open the door to membership of the Western Balkans. "
President Thaçi stressed that the circumstances that have prevented Kosovo's participation in the first meeting held in Novi Sad and the second held in Ohrid have not changed.
Leaders of the three Balkan countries, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and North Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, agreed on October 10 that by 2021 border controls and other obstacles to be abolished to free movement within." region.
They agreed that other countries in the region should be invited to the next meetings and that differences on other issues, such as the case between Serbia and Kosovo, should not become an obstacle to moving forward with this project.