From: Exit Staff
Kurti Asks Trump for Monitoring Mechanisms of Kosovo-Serbia Deals

Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti has urged the United States and the European Union to monitor the implementation of current and future agreements between Kosovo and Serbia.

In a letter sent to US President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Michael Pompeo, in which he informs them of his government’s decision to lift tariffs against Serbian goods, Kurti invites both the US and EU to ensure the implementation of agreements through sanctioning mechanism.

“We also invite the United States and the European Union to establish monitoring and sanctioning mechanisms to ensure that both sides abide by commitments made in existing and future agreements between both sides,” Kurti writes in the letter published on his social media account.

In the letter, Kurti informed the US leaders that the Kosovo government and he personally will take the lead of negotiations with the Serbian counterpart, thus bringing an end to years of confusion on who speaks on behalf of the Kosovo people.

He also informed Trump and Pompeo of the Kosovo government’s priorities: fight against crime and corruption, and economic growth.  Kurti expressed his and Kosovo people’s gratitude for the US, President Trump, his administration and his envoys’ engagement for an agreement between Kosovo and Serbia, as well as his convictions that “this should be done through a process of dialogue.”

Kurti added that he hopes his government’s decision to lift tariffs will be understood by Serbia as a signal of diplomatic good will, and will be reciprocated by an end to Serbia’s lobbying with countries to withdraw recognition of Kosovo.