Kurti: The US suspended planning of the strategic dialogue with Kosovo, this is not a launched process

Caretaker Prime Minister Albin Kurti, commenting on the US decision to suspend the strategic dialogue with Kosovo, stated that this concerns the suspension of planning for the strategic dialogue, not the dialogue itself as a process that has been launched, nor the regular communication, as reported by Reporteri.

"I want to clarify that this is about the suspension of planning for the strategic dialogue, not the strategic dialogue as a process that has been launched, nor the regular communication we have. We have not broken ties with America, but we do have some differences," Kurti said at a government session.

He attacked the opposition, saying that it was exaggerating the problems.

"The government takes seriously the statements and positions of the US embassy," Kurti said, according to Reporteri.

He noted that communication with the embassy is regular.

Kurti explained that the differences lie in the area of diplomacy, specifically actions against illegal structures in Kosovo, saying that there are disagreements "on operational and tactical issues."

"In the pillar of diplomacy we have some differences that very often concern our positions regarding Serbia and actions against illegal structures in Kosovo. While we agree on values, interests, and goals, sometimes we disagree on operational and tactical issues," Kurti said.

The US Embassy announced the decision to suspend the dialogue, saying that it was made due to concerns over the actions of the current government that have increased tensions and instability, limiting the ability of the United States to work productively with Kosovo on shared priorities.

"The United States has indefinitely suspended the planned strategic dialogue with Kosovo due to concerns about the actions of the current government that have increased tensions and instability, limiting the ability of the United States to work productively with Kosovo on shared priorities. We remain committed to advancing the shared interests of the United States and the people of Kosovo. Our relationship with Kosovo is based on the common goal of strengthening peace and stability as the foundation for mutual economic prosperity. Unfortunately, the recent actions and statements of Prime Minister Kurti present challenges to the progress achieved over many years," the US Embassy said in its statement.

President Vjosa Osmani expressed deep regret and concern over this decision.

Osmani said that the Presidency would work with maximum effort and great dedication to ensure the dialogue resumes as soon as possible.

The strategic dialogue is a process that the US State Department has, in most cases, developed with various countries around the world with the goal of strengthening bilateral relations.

This process involves high-level talks between the two countries, held either in Washington or in the partner country, covering a wide range of topics such as defense, security, environment, energy, economic cooperation, and more.

In recent years, the US has developed strategic dialogues with France, the United Kingdom, Romania, Austria, Poland, Slovenia, Moldova, Greece, North Macedonia, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Egypt, and others.

The US also conducts strategic dialogue not only with states but also with organizations or movements in countries it does not consider allies, such as the Belarusian democratic movement led by Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya.