Radojkovic: Rama tasked with bringing Kurti to reason

Historian Stefan Radojkovic says for Kosovo Online that Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama is well aware that the Pristina administration depends on Western aid and support and that Rama, as a member of the Albanian people, is likely tasked with bringing Albin Kurti to reason, as Kurti is not behaving constructively.

“Kurti’s behavior within the framework of the Brussels dialogue and his attitude towards Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija show that he does not follow the instructions and directives of his Western sponsors and supporters, and this has been very poorly received, as we have seen in the statements of countless foreign officials. The channel through Edi Rama is believed to have the greatest impact and the ability to positively influence Albin Kurti,” Radojkovic said.

Commenting on the fact that Rama did not meet with Kurti during his visit to Pristina on Monday but did meet with President Vjosa Osmani and the Mayor of Pristina, Radojkovic said that Rama’s choice is a clear signal that the Self-Determination Movement has limits to its autonomous actions to some extent and that to some extent their Western supporters, who also speak through Edi Rama, have a say.

“Rama is a representative of a NATO member state and is one of the most influential representatives of the Albanian people in the Western Balkans. Tirana is not only a center for the ethnic gathering of the Albanian people but also a key player in intra-Albanian relations. We have seen that Kurti’s and the Pristina administration’s attempts to impose themselves as a key player in intra-Albanian relations have led to very poor results, primarily in the elections in North Macedonia as well as in the southern parts of Serbia among the Albanian community, and all this undermines Tirana’s position,” Radojkovic said, adding that all of this is high politics that does not concern ordinary people as much.