Grenell: Mutual recognition does not put food on the table, economic development is needed

Washington's former special envoy for dialogue, Richard Grenell, said that all parties in the region should look at the facts, what had been the situation under Donald Trump and what was it now under Joseph Biden, RTS reports.

"It is clear that since the implementation of economic agreements, we have brought jobs to young people, opened borders, that we reached chaos and that NATO forces must intervene. That change is Albin Kurti. I am very concerned that Kurti rejects the US ideas, continues to reject European ideas, and does not suffer the consequences. That will continue until there is no pressure from the US, at the moment there are no consequences," Grenell said in a guest appearance on the news TV program "Dnevnik".

According to him, no new agreements have been signed under Biden, but they are talking about previously signed contracts that have become relevant due to the situation.

"For a long time, the Europeans wanted the Merdare crossing to be opened, but it was not opened until the Americans intervened. We had a free trade agreement under Trump on direct flights. None of that was implemented. The CSM is an old agreement that was supposed to be implemented," Grenell noted, adding that American politics was passing the baton to the Europeans.

The former special envoy of Washington for dialogue pointed out that he was now in the private sector and dealing with the economy.

"We've seen the State Department send in lower-level people and let the Europeans take the lead," Grenell says.

There is a big difference, as he explained, between someone being sent by the President of the United States and the people who are now entrusted with it - they are from the State Department and they don't report to the President.

"We have left aside the story of politics, of mutual recognition, which has been talked about for 20 years. Mutual recognition does not put food on the table for people trying to create a family. We need economic development. That is the goal, and that did not happen under this administration," Grenell pointed out.

Washington Agreement

Speaking about the Washington Agreement, he says that it meant that the private sector should be involved so Western companies would come.

"We planned to work on it. It's important that government officials step aside and allow the private sector to step in. There's no real substitute for leadership. I would say there's a lack of leadership from the White House," Grenell said.

Commenting on the Franco-German proposal, he said there were no details and that both sides had to demand more details.

"People will not sign agreements that only renew previous agreements. France and Germany are trying to sign a new agreement, and it would be better for them to concentrate on the implementation of previous agreements," Grenell noted.