Montgomery: Kurti's long-term goal the departure of all Serbs from Kosovo and his short-term goal to provoke the Serbian Government

Former US Ambassador to Belgrade William Montgomery stated in an interview with Kosovo Online that Kosovo's Prime Minister Albin Kurti continued with aggressive "ethnic cleansing" actions against Serbs living in Kosovo, with the clear intent of trying to get them all to leave, adding that the recent action against Post Offices was a classic example.

"The 'dialogue' that the European Union in particular wants to achieve is not possible under these conditions. The only question I have is when will the US and the EU take sufficient punitive measures against Kurti. Clearly, simply criticizing him publicly and privately is not effective. I say this with real worry, as if a petty guy like Kurti with an economy which is not working is able to ignore our concerns, what lessons will the rest of the world learn from this?" Montgomery stated.

When asked about his impression of whether relations between the US and the Kosovo Government have advanced as a result of lobbying efforts by companies hired by the Kosovo Government last summer in the US, aimed at improving relations through communication with the legislative and executive branches of the US Government, Montgomery said he does not know if the lobbying was successful. 

"Unfortunately, the role of lobbyists in the United States has steadily increased over time. It would be impossible for me to even begin to guess how many companies, countries, political parties, and even wealthy individuals have come to believe that a lobbyist in Washington is important. So it is not surprising to hear that Kurti and his government have done so. I have no idea if this has been at all successful," Montgomery said. 

The American diplomat added that Kurti's long-term goal is indeed the departure of all Serbs from Kosovo. 

"But his short and medium-term goal is to provoke the Serbian government to take actions which will help him make the case, probably with lobbyists included, that Kosovo deserves support. Congratulations to the Serbian Government for its forbearance in the face of these acts. I would like to see more signs of appreciation from the US and the EU for that forbearance," Montgomery emphasized.