Kosova hopes to normalize relations with Serbia this yr, Prime Minister Albin Kurti stated Wednesday.
“Normalization of relations with Serbia I wish for this year, for 2024, and in the next years and decades I want to come out victorious on issues like social inequality, climate change and security threats,” Kurti instructed AFP.
Kurti’s feedback got here amid tensions between the 2 nations over the usage of the Serbian dinar, which in accordance with the prime minister, will not be formally “banned” in Kosovo.
The feedback got throughout a wide-ranging interview with AFP per week after the controversial ruling in opposition to the foreign money infected the newest spherical of diplomatic stress with neighboring Serbia.
Kosovo’s Serb minority has continued to depend on dinars ever since Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008.
“We are not banning Serbian dinars, people can have Serbian dinars, but the only means of payment is euro,” Kurti instructed AFP, insisting that Kosovo’s Serbs won’t be punished for holding the foreign money.
Kurit stated a month-long transitional interval was additionally in impact to ease into the brand new regulation, which might permit for additional communication and time to resolve points.
“It’s not our goal either to punish anyone or to surprise citizens, we want to have them onboard,” Kurti added.
The prime minister’s remarks got here as Serbia accused the Kosovo authorities of bodily blocking a cargo of dinars on the border on Wednesday.
“The National Bank of Serbia strongly condemns today’s incident and reiterates that it is necessary to immediately repeal the discriminatory, illegal and outrageous measures,” stated Serbia’s central financial institution in a press release.
The financial institution stated the cargo was set to pay salaries, pensions, social advantages and different funds to Serbs in Kosovo.
Kosovo authorities later stated a Serbian car approached the border to inquire about bringing dinars and was knowledgeable that solely licensed corporations may deliver foreign money into the world.
Despite the newest diplomatic row, Kurti stated he aimed to normalize relations with arch-rival Serbia in 2024, following years of stalled talks on the problem between the 2 sides.
Serbia has by no means acknowledged Kosovo’s 2008 declaration of independence, with the rivals repeatedly locked in fierce disagreements over essentially the most minute bureaucratic issues within the former breakaway province, reminiscent of a current spat over license plates.
Source: www.dailysabah.com