Osmani’s Message to Brussels: Without the U.S., Dialogue is Weaker; With Them, Agreements Are More Achievable
President Osmani is participating in the fourth edition of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum. In her speech, the president spoke about the permanent alliance with the U.S., the dialogue with Serbia, and a series of other topics. During her stay in Antalya, she also met with the Turkish and Syrian presidents.
The United States of America and Turkey are two allies that have helped Kosovo greatly over the years. This was stated by the President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, at the fourth edition of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, with the theme “Reclaiming Diplomacy in a Fragmented World.”
Osmani, who is staying in Antalya at the invitation of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, spoke about Kosovo’s journey from war onward.
“We are a good example of growing from zero, from ashes, things that were entirely destroyed because of a dictator, because of the regime and genocide, but again, our nation is an example of how the world came together and did not close its eyes to the suffering and repression of a people who suffered for centuries,” said Vjosa Osmani, President of Kosovo.
Regarding the recognition of Kosovo’s independence, Osmani said that after recognition by Kenya, the country has begun a new momentum for further recognitions, but that this is being hampered by Serbian propaganda and other dictatorial states.
The head of state also spoke about the dialogue with Serbia and the agreements reached.
“When we speak about the dialogue with Serbia, I reiterate that the dialogue is for mutual recognition. Until now, we have discussed freedom of movement, goods, the missing persons — for which Serbia must open its archives from the 1990s so that the bodies of the missing can be found, most of whom are children. But Serbia is showing that it is not committed to dialogue, only we are,” said the president.
Osmani reiterated the important role the U.S. plays in the dialogue.
“I have always requested the involvement of the U.S. because it shows that in these years of work, the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia has continued, and the stronger the role of the U.S., the more achievable the agreements will be. If the U.S. is not involved, the process will be weaker,” she added.
During her stay in Turkey, Osmani also met with her Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, about whom she said he is a leader who has always stood by Kosovo, in every challenge and in every success.
She emphasized that Erdogan is a proven friend of Kosovo, a strong voice for our rights, and a solid pillar of support in every stage of our state-building.
Osmani also met with the President of Syria, Ahmet al Sharaa (Ahmed al Shirau), with whom she discussed opening new chapters of cooperation between the two countries. According to her, Kosovo and Syria share similar wounds, the pain of war, displacement, and the challenge of reconstruction.
