Prenkaj: A visit from Trump to our region would be a major turning point

Former Kosovo Ambassador to Italy, Albert Prenkaj, stated for Kosovo Online that US foreign policy under President Trump gained momentum and that a more dynamic involvement regarding the Kosovo–Serbia dialogue can be expected.

“The presence of President Trump in relation to the Kosovo–Serbia dialogue could be expected if we are talking about a potential agreement similar to the one signed at the White House in September 2020, when an agreement was signed between President Trump and Kosovo Prime Minister Hoti, as well as Serbian President Vucic,” Prenkaj said, commenting on a letter from Congresswomen Claudia Tenney (Republican) and Chrissy Houlahan (Democrat) addressed to Trump, in which they invite him to help achieve a normalization agreement between Serbia and Kosovo.

Prenkaj also said that it appears the Trump administration is already re-engaging with the Western Balkans, and that Secretary of State Marco Rubio has on several occasions demonstrated interest in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as in Serbia and Kosovo.

“The letter from the two congresswomen, Republican Claudia Tenney and Democrat Chrissy Houlahan, is further proof that the United States is closely monitoring the situation in our region. In their letter, they called for more concrete measures to maintain sustainable peace and stability through a mutual recognition agreement between Kosovo and Serbia,” the diplomat noted.

He added that congressmen and senators are essentially the initiators or proposers of policies in Congress or the Senate, representing committees or, as in this case, addressing the White House directly.

Prenkaj emphasized that visits by US presidents to our region usually occur in connection with very important messages intended for the broader public.

“A possible visit by President Trump to our region would be of great importance and would mark a major turning point in the relations between Kosovo and Serbia, and even more broadly,” Prenkaj believes.