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| Vjosa Osmani, source: Facebook |
President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, responded to an ultimatum from French President Emmanuel Macron, who declared on August 28th that his country would reconsider the commitments it has made regarding economic issues and visa policies for Kosovo and Serbia if they do not act responsibly.
During a ceremony held in Pristina on "Day of the Displaced," Osmani stated that if a step towards lifting visa restrictions for Kosovo citizens were to be taken, it would effectively end the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue once and for all.
"I would say that this is a way to permanently kill the dialogue. If someone wants to eliminate the dialogue, then they take such measures, which are punitive measures against the people of Kosovo. They are not against any leader, they are not against a policy, they are against the people of Kosovo. And such an unprecedented punishment, which has already been a great injustice to the people of Kosovo, will result in the death of the dialogue. No one has the mandate to go to Brussels anymore when the people of Kosovo are being punished," Osmani said during a visit to the Memorial for the Displaced in Pristina.
Osmani affirmed that Kosovo reached an agreement with the EU to de-escalate the situation in the north on July 10th in Bratislava and is adhering to all points of the agreement.
She emphasized that the agreement includes reducing the presence of the Kosovo Police around municipal buildings in the north, a step that Kosovo has already taken. It also involves holding new elections in the North, which will also take place.
According to Osmani, the legal basis for holding these elections will be ready by September 1st.