Baraliu: Kurti’s address to the Serbs an expression of goodwill

Professor of constitutional law Mazllum Baraliu told Kosovo Online that the video message addressed to the Serbian community by Kosovo’s acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti was an expression of goodwill and a signal of his intent that, if he becomes prime minister again, he will do his utmost to respect and equally support all citizens.

“The Constitution and the laws of this country guarantee the rights of all communities, including the Serbian community, but with this address, he wanted to reaffirm the Government’s commitment in the field of investment, as well as its commitment to internal dialogue with members of the Serbian community. The government attempted this already at the beginning, but it failed due to pressure from Belgrade through the Serb List as a political organization,” Baraliu said.

He also views Kurti’s message in the context of the upcoming elections and as a possible response to the international and European community and public opinion, through which he wants to “show and prove” that he and his government are dedicated to ensuring the rights and freedoms of all communities in Kosovo.

Baraliu added that Kurti was not trying to win over Serbian voters, since, as he put it, Kurti knows “that there is strong propaganda coming from Belgrade, as well as external sources of information against this government, both in the West and in the East.”

“That’s not right, because I think everything being done in terms of the rule of law and for the good of all citizens should be supported. When the law is not respected, then rights and freedoms are denied, of both citizens and communities, or peoples,” the professor said.

On September 18, Albin Kurti addressed the Serbs in Kosovo in a video message in which he said, among other things, that he serves all citizens, that he wants the best possible cooperation with the Serbian community, and that there is no interethnic hostility in Kosovo “as some propagate.”