Kosovo deputy premier attends AIIS foreign policy forum, engages in frank discussion with top opinion makers
TIRANA, Jan. 11 – Kosovo’s new deputy premier and foreign minister, Hashim Thaçi, made a visit to Tirana Monday, his first since he took the post in the new government last month.
Thaçi, Kosovo’s former premier, met with President Bujar Nishani, Speaker Ilir Meta and Prime Minister Edi Rama. He also met with the opposition Democratic Party leader Lulzim Basha and his Albanian counterpart.
The Albanian and Kosovar governments will hold in March a joint meeting in an effort to increase the cooperation between the two neighboring countries, populated by ethnic Albanians. They held a similar meeting last year and the second had to be delayed due to the political tension in Kosovo.
Albania and Kosovo are trying to increase the economic cooperation and also that in the energy sector.
“The cooperation between the two countries will continue. I hope that in the second half of March, will be held the second meeting between the Government of Albania and that of Kosovo, to see how far we have gone with the implementation of decisions taken at the meeting of Prizren,” said Thaçi.
In Tirana, Thaçi was also the keynote guest at an event organized by the Albanian Institute for International Studies. The think tank’s forum on foreign policy involved a frank discussion between the Kosovo deputy premier and experts from several fields in Albania as well as some of the country’s top journalists and opinion makers.
During the Kosovo foreign minister visit, Albanian authorities expressed support for a deeper and stronger cooperation with Kosovo.
On dialogue with Serbia, Albanian officials said that Albania will fully support Kosovo in normalizing relations with Serbia.
Kosovo’s foreign minister pointed out that these visits between Serbia and Kosovo are occurring and are nearly normal and customary between the two countries
During the visit, Thaçi also received a “Doctor Honoris Causa” award from the Tirana University for his role in Kosovo’s independence.
“I dedicate this honorary doctorate to those who fought with and lost their lives during the war. We all bow before the work of those who did not spare their lives for freedom”, said Thaçi in his social network site before coming to Tirana.
On Sunday Thaçi was also present at the unity rally in Paris where he was seen alongside Rama.
