Mutual trust, coordination, cooperation, and progress in the dialogue with Serbia are some of the expectations of the United States of America, Germany, and the United Kingdom from the new government of Kosovo.
These three countries, along with Italy and France, are part of the group of states known as the Quint. Radio Free Europe also inquired with the Italian and French Embassies about their expectations from the new Kosovo executive, but these institutions have not responded.
On April 15, the new composition of the Assembly of Kosovo will meet, during which the members of parliament will take their oath. The agenda for the constitutive session of the ninth legislature includes the election of the president and vice presidents of the Assembly of Kosovo.
The constitution of the Assembly will pave the way for the formation of the new government of Kosovo. The winning party in the February 9 elections, the Vetëvendosje Movement led by the current Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, is the first to have the right to attempt to form the new executive. However, Kurti has not yet secured the 61 votes necessary to form the government.
The U.S. Department of State said in an interview with Radio Free Europe that the USA has long supported Kosovo in its path towards building a sovereign, democratic, multi-ethnic, and prosperous state.
“We look forward to working with the new government of Kosovo to support regional stability and security,” said a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State.
The German Embassy in Pristina said that they expect the election of the president and vice presidents of the Assembly on April 15, which will open the way for the formation of the new government of Kosovo.
In a statement to Radio Free Europe, the German Embassy also expressed their expectation for “continued close cooperation with Kosovo and its future government” and added that they will continue to be actively engaged in Kosovo’s integration into Euro-Atlantic structures.
“To achieve this, mutual trust and continued cooperation are necessary. Germany remains convinced that the future government will strengthen close coordination with international partners and work towards substantial progress in the dialogue facilitated by the European Union, helping to achieve Kosovo’s European perspective as soon as possible,” said the German Embassy.
Germany further stated that Kosovo’s closer alignment with the EU is “our common goal, as is strengthening democracy, the rule of law, and essential progress in the dialogue for normalization with Serbia, including the implementation of the Brussels and Ohrid Agreements with their relevant annexes.”
The British Embassy in Pristina stated that they hope the next government of Kosovo will address the needs of all citizens, including making progress in the integration of Serbs and strongly engaging in the dialogue to normalize relations with Serbia.
“The United Kingdom fully supports Kosovo’s membership in the Council of Europe and hopes that Kosovo will be able to meet the requirements of others as soon as possible,” said the British Embassy in a response to Radio Free Europe.
The creation of the Association of Serb-majority municipalities has been the main obstacle for Kosovo on its path toward membership in the Council of Europe. Kurti’s government has been hesitant about forming the Association, expressing concerns that it could undermine Kosovo’s sovereignty and state functionality.
Calls for progress in dialogue were also made during the April 8 meeting of the United Nations Security Council, where Kosovo and Serbia exchanged accusations.
Kosovo accused Serbia of continued attempts to destabilize the country’s democracy, “not only through rhetoric but also through concrete and violent actions that threaten peace and security in the region.”
Meanwhile, Serbia accused Kosovo of worsening the situation for Serbs in Kosovo, claiming that “the campaign to systematically destroy Serbian institutions across Kosovo has escalated.”
Kosovo’s allied states have also criticized the government for what they called “unilateral and uncoordinated actions” in the north of the country, where authorities have shut down Serbian institutions.
Kosovo authorities began shutting down Serbian institutions in Kosovo at the beginning of 2024, justifying that they were operating without permission and their functioning was illegal.
