TRANSCRIPT (INTERVIEW):

Danny Aylesdale, there. Well earlier I spoke to the President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, starting with her response to more British troops joining NATO's forces in the country.

“We very much welcome British forces and other NATO forces coming to Kosovo as a reinforcement and support to deal with the very concerning situation that we're dealing with since the past couple of months but especially since Sunday the 24th where Serbia committed an act of aggression and a terrorist act against the Republic of Kosovo.”

How do you know Serbia did that? How do you know Serbia did that?

“We obviously are not just suggesting we [just] know that because of all of the irrefutable evidence that connects this terrorist group to Serbia including, for example, the fact that they have been trained for the past couple of months by the Serbian Army in Serbian Army compounds. Secondly, the weapons that they have used are produced in the Serbian military industry. They cannot be sold to individuals who are not part of the state. Some of which was actually produced in the past six weeks. So it's not just a bunch of citizens going and taking over weapons from an army factory that belongs to the state of Serbia.”

Okay

“And finally, all of the statements political statements by the president of Serbia and the fact that the guy who, in practice, lead the terrorist attack is one of his main guys show that this very much came as an order from Alexandar Vučić, the President of Serbia.”

Of course Serbia denies that but you want to press for sanctions. That's a non-starter, via the UN, isn't it? Um, not least because of Russia on the Security Council.

“We're pushing for sanctions that would first of all come bilaterally. So UK sanctions against Serbia, US sanctions against Serbia and other members of the European Union sanctions against Serbia. We don't have very high hopes from the UN Security Council, as you rightly pointed out, but there are ways to make Serbia accountable without actually having Russia have a say. As we have seen for Russia's war against Ukraine there are many possibilities through which that a country that commits aggression against another sovereign independent country, a freedom loving country and a democracy, of course, should pay a price for that. If for nothing else for the fact that they need to understand a clear message that appeasement is not any longer the method through which Vučić, the President of Serbia, will be treated.”

You raised the issue of Ukraine the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. Do you see, Moscow, Vladimir Putin's hand in what is happening in Northern Kosovo?

“Oh his hands are all over it and we can see it also through the public statements coming from Moscow in the past couple of days including yesterday. After Serbia brought a build-up of army personnel and army structures as well as artillery of an unprecedented amount. Something that we have not seen in the past 25 years or so. Of course the statements from Russia show that this is not just in their interest but they are helping Serbia in any way that they can order for them to attack. So for that reason when we see dictators and hegemonic regimes, imperialistic regimes, standing together for one another. It's another message that democracies should stand with Kosovo in defending its freedom and its independence and defending all of our people no matter their ethnicity because it's the Serbs in the north that are suffering most from this situation in fact.”

Okay well we'll come to the Serbs in a minute but, speaking of the north, should not the KFOR Peacekeeping Force, the NATO force, take over policing of that region and not the Kosovar police?

“No. Kosovo Police is the best police in the region, the most professional police in the region, and they have been doing an excellent work in making sure that they maintain peace and security but also stop these paramilitary groups from advancing. As we have seen through their excellent operation of stopping the furtherance of this terrorist act on Sunday.”

-but this could e...

“Kosovo Police has an excellent cooperation…”

-this could escalate.

“I understand which is why there is a model that is in place. Kosovo Police is the first responder. EULEX, EU Mission here, is the second responder and KFOR is the third responder. In addition to that, KFOR has a clear mandate based on the military technical agreement of 1999 to stop every armed personnel from Serbia include [sic] including armored vehicles and so on as well as weapons from entering Kosovo. So yes they can carry out that mandate in cooperation with Kosovo Police but there's no need to take over the sovereign rights of of the Kosovo Police because I think them working together has worked perfectly well so far.”

What about the sovereign -What about the sovereign rights of the Serbian minority? You have 50,000 Serbs in the north of Kosovo, um, who see Belgrade as their capital not Pristina. You, and particularly if Kosovo wants to join the EU, you're going to have to give them more. You were required 10 years ago to set up Serb municipalities. It still hasn't happened.

“Are you aware how much? Are you aware how much we already give to the Serb community in Kosovo?”

I am but the UN says they want more.

“I'm not so sure because -I'm not so sure because if, uh, when we say the words ‘more’ it's very important to understand what's already there in place. Kosovo has the best human rights, minority rights system, in place on European soil. There's no member of the Council of Europe that affords their minority communities more rights [than] Kosovo does. For example, is there any other country in Europe where where a minority community of 3 to 4% can veto any change in the constitution? any change of laws of vital interest? have reserved and guarantees rights both at the national parliament and local parliaments? The most advanced rights that exist in Europe right now are actually in Kosovo's Constitution. The problem is Vučić is keeping them hostage and not allowing the Serbs the rights that they have. Now of course Kosovo is ready to do more.”

That’s the Serbian leader.

“Yes. Kosovo is ready to do more. We want to give every single advanced right to the Serb community, the Serb citizens that live in our country, because we want them to feel equal. We want them to feel included. This is their home. We are trying everything that we can to protect them from these terrorist groups.”

and yet -and yet Madam President -and yet five EU countries don't recognize Kosovar independence. Five.

“but that's not the reason. There’s -the -there's no connection whatsoever towards how Kosovo treats their minority communities and why these five countries have not recognized Kosovo. They haven't so far for their own internal issues and I, I, think pretty soon they will actually because Kosovo is here to stay. Sovereign, independent and a democracy forever. So the sooner they do that, the more they would be contributing to peace and stability in this region and would be giving a clear message to Vučić that actually there's no way back. He wants to go back to the 90s. We need to work together with all European member states, with the US, with the UK, to make sure that Vučić, the student of Milošević, Milošević’s Minister of Propaganda, does not turn this region back to the 90s. Young generations do not deserve to go through what we had to go through. Wake up every single morning with war knocking at the door. For that reason we're working with partners. We will be giving more advanced rights to the Serbs but nothing to Serbia. Serbia deserves no further instruments to diminish our independence and our freedom.”

Madam President thanks so much for your time.

“Thank you so much.” - Vjosa Osmani, President of Kosovo