Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti is in the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, where he met with Presidency members Željko Komšić and Denis Bećirović. After Kurti’s meeting with the Presidency members, Chairwoman Željka Cvijanović also reacted.
Komšić thanked the Kosovo Prime Minister for the decision to lift the visa regime for citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, emphasizing that he appreciated such an “exceptional unilateral, and therefore unusual move by Prime Minister Kurti and the Government of Kosovo,” according to a statement from the office of BiH Presidency member Željko Komšić.
“This move will certainly contribute to better connections between the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo, as well as to an increase in mutual trade,” said Komšić.
On this occasion, Komšić also addressed the criticisms regarding Kurti’s visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina, coming from Republika Srpska and the region, saying that “RS is not a subject of international law and that RS is not competent to issue visas for entry into Bosnia and Herzegovina, and that members of the BiH Presidency will certainly not ask Dodik or anyone else who they will meet with and what they will discuss”.
“We perceive the criticisms coming from the countries of the region as yet another clear evidence of an attempt to deny the sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina and pressure on the sovereign bodies and institutions of BiH in conducting foreign policy”, said Komšić.
On this occasion, Komšić and Kurti also discussed the overall political and social processes in the region.
Bećirović – Kurti: Everyone in the Western Balkans should work on strengthening cooperation, peace and stability
Bosnia and Herzegovina Presidency Member Denis Bećirović spoke today in Sarajevo with Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, and during the conversation it was jointly stated that everyone in the Western Balkans should work on strengthening regional cooperation, peace, stability and good neighborly relations.
At the beginning of the conversation, Bećirović emphasized that certain politicians from Republika Srpska should “stop with Goebbelsian propaganda”.
“Today, there is no discussion about the recognition of Kosovo, because it is clear to everyone that such a decision requires consensus in the Presidency of BiH. Responsible people should always insist on respecting the principles of constitutionality and legality, but also on constructive discussions on the implementation of the signed agreements from the Berlin Process. We will not allow anyone to even think that they can discipline the leaders of the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina and determine with whom, where and when they can talk. Let them forget that forever,” said Bećirović.
They jointly noted the importance of Kosovo’s decision to unilaterally allow free movement with ID cards for citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1 January 2025, on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Berlin Process.
Bećirović stressed the importance of implementing all obligations arising from the Berlin Process. Agreements were signed in Berlin that entail better connectivity of the Western Balkans region, while adapting to European Union standards.
Among others, the Agreement on Freedom of Movement with ID Cards in the Western Balkans was signed. In this regard, he recalled that the Berlin agreements were signed by the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of BiH and a senior SNSD official, Zoran Tegeltija. The agreement was also supported by Milorad Dodik, and therefore it is “irresponsible for him to oppose well-intentioned talks within the Berlin Process”.
Bećirović underlined the fact that Serbia, Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Kosovo have ratified all agreements on liberalization of movement in the region.
“Unfortunately, Kosovo citizens, due to unreasonable blockades from the Bosnian entity of RS, still do not have the possibility of free entry to Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is a violation of the signed Berlin Process agreements,” he said.
He recalled that in 2019, former Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Milorad Dodik extended an official invitation to the then President of Kosovo Hashim Thaci to come to the South East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) summit in Sarajevo, which, he said, was a good move by Dodik and that is why he “should not pursue a policy of discontinuity”.
Bećirović thanked Kosovo for its solidarity and support in promoting truth and justice about the genocide against Bosniaks. On 7 July 2021, the Kosovo Assembly voted on a Resolution condemning the genocide committed in Srebrenica in July 1995. The Resolution prohibits the denial of genocide and marks July 11 as the Day of Remembrance of the Srebrenica Genocide.
He also expressed gratitude for Kosovo’s assistance and solidarity with Bosnia and Herzegovina after the catastrophic floods that hit our country in early October this year, when the Government of Kosovo provided financial assistance to Bosnia and Herzegovina for recovery, the Presidency of BiH announced.
Cvijanović: Komšić and Bećirović misused the Presidency building for a private visit
The Chairperson of the Presidency of BiH Željka Cvijanović accused Komšić and Bećirović of, as she said, misusing the Presidency building for a private visit by Albin Kurti. She added that “officially, no one from the services in the Presidency knew about this visit, nor was they involved in its organization”.
“BiH does not recognize the self-proclaimed Kosovo and if they wanted to socialize, they should have gone to one of the Sarajevo cafes, not to the building of joint institutions”, Cvijanović stressed.
She said that “private visits have no place in official institutions”.
After the meetings in the Presidency, Kurti also met with the Prime Minister of the Federation of BiH, Nermin Nikšić.
After the meeting, Nikšić commented on the reaction of the RS authorities to Kurti’s visit, and said that they do not ask anyone who they will meet with either. He believes that his meeting with Kurti does not endanger anyone in BiH
Meetings with representatives of political parties, the SDA and the Party for BiH, are also planned.
Kurti will, as announced, also have a meeting in the Council of Ministers of BiH, while in the afternoon he will be the opening speaker at a session of the Association of Independent Intellectuals “Circle 99”.
Circle 99’s invitation to Kurti caused fierce reactions in Republika Srpska, which stated that the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina does not recognize Kosovo and that “Kurti’s speech in Sarajevo is dangerous and harmful to relations in BiH and the region”.
Ministers from Republika Srpska, due to his arrival, decided to boycott all announced actions related to the Reform Agenda, i.e. the document that Bosnia and Herzegovina must send to Brussels in order to exercise its rights under the European Union Growth Plan. Yesterday, the meeting of the Working Group for the preparation of the Reform Agenda was canceled, as well as the extraordinary session of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
