Rama: CSM as Republika Srpska is an electoral myth; Kosovo should do everything that is asked of it

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama stated in an interview with "Nacionale" that the authorities in Kosovo should do everything the international community asked of them and he assessed that comparing the CSM with Republika Srpska was an "electoral myth that has nothing to do with reality."

"It is not my place to be a commentator or analyst on things happening in Kosovo, but I know one thing even at the risk of being attacked by the online army of Kosovo as a traitor. And I don't care. If all of them were traitors as much as my work is, Kosovo would be in the Council of Europe today," Rama said, adding that he would have chosen a different strategy for negotiations with Serbia.

"Kosovo does not have a dialogue with Serbia. I have told all your leaders this. Kosovo has a dialogue with the EU. Kosovo's goal is not to integrate into the EU, but to join the EU and become a member of the Western family, considering that the East is Russia. What should Kosovo do? It should do its part from A to Z, without questioning at all what Serbia should do. What is asked of Kosovo is for the good of Kosovo," the Albanian Prime Minister said.

He stated that if he had determined the strategy and tactics of the negotiations, he would have fulfilled everything required.

"And I would say that we have done our part, now go deal with the others there. By doing the opposite, Kosovo has linked its fate to Serbia, which may be a good tactic for the internal electorate, but from the standpoint of international subjectivity, it is not productive," Rama stated.

Responding to the journalist's assertion that there is a fear in Kosovo that the CSM would create a new Republika Srpska, the Albanian Prime Minister called this an "electoral myth." He said that if Pristina had immediately accepted the draft statute of the CSM, there would have been no changes later.

"The more the small ones insist by saying no, no, no, the more the big ones will pressure you to accept more. I am talking about the international constellation, which are the EU and the US. Someone should convince me why Kosovo should watch what Serbia is doing, in the sense that if they do this, we do that. I think that's a mistake from the start. Kosovo has no reason to link its fate with Serbia. If they say you need to become our member, do one, two, three, four, five... These talks about Republika Srpska are electoral myths, they have nothing to do with reality," Rama said.

Only Kurti can overthrow Kurti

Answering a question about Kosovo's membership in the Council of Europe, he emphasized that "he respects the fact that Kosovo is not governed by Albania, but by Kurti."

"I never had the ambition to engage in politics in Kosovo or to show Kosovo that your father is here in Tirana. I simply tried to show Kosovo how we in Albania see it best. We are not a party in Kosovo," he said.

As he added, he does not intend to "interfere with his party," neither in Kosovo nor in North Macedonia.

"Albin is a professional oppositionist. I am waiting for the day when Albin will protest against his own government. The only one who can overthrow Albin Kurti is Albin Kurti himself. He is not fulfilled by revolutionary desire and he goes to Macedonia and comes to Albania. The day he came to present the candidates, he ate spaghetti with me. And he will eat again when he comes to present the candidates. Albanians often tell me how you can behave like that towards your younger brother. And the younger brother does that, and you have nothing to do with him," Rama said.