The American diplomat William Walker stated that economics cannot resolve the political problem between Kosovo and Serbia.
Walker made this comment in an interview for BBC in Serbia, where he also criticized the European Union for the process of Kosovo- Serbia dialogue, Prishtina- based Gazeta Express reports.
Walker is quoted of saying that the US President, Donald Trump surely is more interested in economic issues than political ones, adding that if these [economic] agreements are successful, it would be good for the region.
“However, I am afraid that dealing only with economic issues would not resolve the political problems that remain open, which the European Union has been dealing with through negotiations for years without much success,” Walker is quoted.
He does not have much expectation for the implementation of agreements signed at the White House in separate documents, by the Kosovo Prime Minister, Avdullah Hoti and Serbian president, Aleksandar Vucic. This, as Walker is quoted is because “this White House is known for big words in the economic field in the US also, which did not come true”.
William Walker is well- known and respected in Kosovo because he was the first international official to report the massacre in the village of Recak in 1999, where 45 civilians were killed by Serbian forces.
At the time of the war, Walker was the chief of the OSCE mission to Kosovo. While visiting the scene, he said the victims were civilians and their killings were a “crime against humanity”.
This statement was one of the key moments that led to the NATO bombing campaign against Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic’s forces.
Serbia denies the crime, while in 2019 its president Aleksandar Vucic stated that “it was all fabricated by that global fraudster, scammer and swindler, Walker”.
A statue of William Walker was unveiled on the 18th anniversary of a massacre at the memorial site of the village.
