“The basic agreement at the heart of the Kosovo-Serbia negotiations mediated by the EU, which Italy firmly supports, is a pragmatic one and takes into account the current situation. It is necessarily a compromise but, honestly, it is the best compromise achievable under the existing conditions”. These were the words of the Italian Ambassador to Kosovo, Antonello De Riu, interviewed by Klan Kosova, on the eve of the new mission to Pristina and Belgrade of the EU Special Representative for the Dialogue between the two countries, Miroslav Lajčák, as well as of the long-awaited new meeting between the Kosovar Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, and the Serbian President, Aleksandar Vučić, scheduled to take place in Ohrid on 18 March.
“As the recent meeting of the European Council also stressed, this is a historic opportunity to put relations between the two sides on a new and sustainable basis. An opportunity that both Kosovo and Serbia should definitely seize, also in order to realize their European perspective. In order to do so, both countries are urged to implement, fully and unconditionally, the obligations undertaken in the framework of the EU-Facilitated Dialogue. In the case of Pristina, this means in particular the establishment of an association/community of Serb majority municipalities. In this regard, Kosovo has nothing to worry about: it will be an entity in line with its legal framework and will be inspired by the most advanced European models”, the Head of Mission added.
During the interview, conducted by journalist Adriatik Kelmendi within the in-depth political programme “Rubikon”, Ambassador De Riu also spoke about bilateral relations between Italy and Kosovo and the renewed focus of the Italian Government on the Balkans, “a region in which Italy intends to play a leading role, to use the words of Antonio Tajani, both Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister. After his last November visit with Defence Minister Guido Crosetto, a Ministerial Conference devoted precisely to the Balkan area is scheduled to take place in Rome; it will be followed by a ‘country presentation’ of Kosovo dedicated to Italian investors as well as a ‘business forum’ in Pristina, so to encourage a wider presence of Italian companies in Kosovo”, Ambassador stressed.
Alongside political engagement, the diplomat highlighted cultural promotion activities. “Last year alone, the Italian Embassy held 41 events, a number unimaginable just a few years ago. Through this effort we support not only Italian language and culture, but also and above all Kosovar Cultural Institutions, doing so much for their country and with which we aim to establish partnerships, enriching their programmes with the Italian flair that Kosovars have shown to appreciate”, De Riu said.
The full interview is available at this link: https:///www.youtube.com/watch=vXNAi-6O3jd8
An extract is visible here: https:///www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYv5RQOGPXk
