Former Prime Minister of Kosovo, Avdullah Hoti, described the Washington Agreement with Serbia—which he signed at the White House five years ago in the presence of U.S. President Donald Trump—as a “missed opportunity.”
Hoti stated that the agreement was “a historic achievement for Kosovo that created unique opportunities” for the country.
“Today marks five years since the signing of the Washington Agreement, a historic achievement for Kosovo that created unique opportunities for: (1) strengthening the strategic partnership between Kosovo and the U.S., and (2) positioning Kosovo at the center of regional economic development through major infrastructure projects,” he wrote in a Facebook post.
Hoti outlined the benefits Kosovo would have gained if the projects included in the agreement had been implemented.
“If the major infrastructure projects included in this agreement had been implemented, Kosovo would today play a role as a road, rail, and energy (through gas) hub in the region and beyond, with Fushë-Kosova serving as a dry port linking the ports of Durrës and Thessaloniki, continuing northward to Central Europe. Politically, the agreement led to recognition by Israel, breaking the multi-year blockade of unrecognized status and advancing Kosovo’s international standing.”
“For the misfortune of Kosovo and its citizens, the agreement was neglected by the institutions formed after the 2021 elections. When the agreement was signed, it faced harsh criticism from the opposition at the time. Today, after five years, everyone without exception recognizes its strategic importance, including those who once labeled it a national betrayal,” he wrote.
Hoti listed the provisions of the agreement that were implemented “between September 2020 – March 2021 in the Hoti government” and others that had “begun to be implemented”:
- Ministry of Infrastructure engaged extensively with the DFC (and EU) on projects including the extension of the Merdare highway, connecting the Durrës highway with highways to Skopje, Gjilan, and the Preševo Valley via the Shtime-Duhël segment, and pre-feasibility studies for the Durrës railway and other projects.
- Ministry of Internal Affairs operationalized the Merdare border crossing.
- Ministry of Education prepared for a meeting of NARIC Kosovo and NARIC Serbia on reciprocal recognition of diplomas.
- Ministry of Economy and Environment collaborated with U.S. experts on the feasibility study for Lake Ujman, finalized by the subsequent government.
- Ministry of Economy and Environment, KOSTT, and ZRRE approved energy diversification projects under the MCC framework: Kosovo–North Macedonia gas pipeline; gas supply network in Kosovo; district heating expansion; renewable energy; support for self-generating energy consumers; investments in electricity distribution in Podujevë, Malishevë, and other regions.
- On October 23, 2020, a memorandum for the 5G system was signed with the U.S. Undersecretary for Economy, Energy, and Environment.
- The Ministry of Economy and Environment took necessary measures for 5G technology security in line with U.S. standards.
- In aviation security, the Ministry of Internal Affairs installed equipment meeting international standards against terrorism, in accordance with UN Resolutions 2178 and 2396, and signed administrative instructions. Equipment was tested for data security.
- Religious freedoms and heritage protection: a new draft law was prepared, and an inter-ministerial group was created to analyze the status of unclaimed or unrecovered Jewish community assets.
- For missing persons, commitments were made to carry out evaluative excavations at multiple sites, review international organization databases, and access relevant information in Serbia.
- Steps were taken to declare organizations recognized as terrorist by the U.S. as terrorist entities in Kosovo.
- On September 21, 2020, a joint declaration with the DFC accelerated the signing of the Investment Promotion Agreement between Kosovo and the U.S.
- On December 31, 2020, the Investment Promotion Agreement between Kosovo and the U.S. was signed within a record timeframe.
- Diplomatic relations were established with Israel.
