Klisman Kadiu, spokesperson for acting Deputy Prime Minister Besnik Bislimi, has reiterated that Bislimi did not hold any secret meeting with Serbian official Marko Gjuriq, responding to a report by Swiss outlet NZZ about alleged “discreet meetings” between Kosovo and Serbian representatives in Switzerland.
In a statement on Facebook, Kadiu clarified that the NZZ article was misrepresented. “The NZZ reported that Deputy Prime Minister Bislimi and Gjuriq participated in meetings organized by the Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the U.S.-based CIG, but it did not claim that they attended the same meeting or met together. These dialogue process meetings have been organized for over ten years to facilitate discussions and, as clarified by the Swiss MFA today, they are not secret, contrary to how some portals portrayed them,” Kadiu wrote.
Swiss MFA Confirms “Discreet” Meetings
Lea Zurcher, spokesperson for the Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told Express that Switzerland organizes these meetings two to three times a year in Solothurn to prevent participants from being distracted by public attention. While the meetings are described as discreet, they are not secret, and there are no official announcements regarding participant travel or attendance.
“Switzerland supports dialogue between Serbia and Kosovo as part of its commitment to building trust and understanding. The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs organizes the Solothurn talks two to three times per year. While conducted discreetly, these meetings are not secret,” Zurcher said.
