Hoxhaj: There are no unresolved issues between Kosovo and Macedonia

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After the meeting, Minister Hoxhaj and Deputy Prime Minister Xhaferi held a press conference, in which they declared the will of the two states to deepen comprehensive cooperation.

Minister Hoxhaj said that such visits deepen the excellent relations between the Republic of Kosovo and that of Macedonia. “Our diplomatic and political relations are at the highest level, and economic, trading, educational and cultural relations are also excellent between Kosovo and Macedonia”, said, amongst other things, Hoxhaj, mentioning the fact that between the two countries 14 bilateral agreements have now been signed, in the last four years.  According to him, this fact speaks of genuine institutional cooperation, as well as sincere cooperation between people, businesses and our two countries.
 
In addition, Hoxhaj expressed the strong support of the Republic of Kosovo for Macedonia, in its European path, membership in the EU and NATO.

Furthermore, Minister Hoxhaj mentioned new projects that are anticipated will be realized in order to strengthen cooperation and exchange between the two countries, mentioning the priority of the Kosovo Government for linking Kosovo and Macedonia through a motorway and building new border crossing points between the two countries. 

Hoxhaj also declared that the border between Kosovo and Macedonia is the only border of the former Yugoslavia, which is demarcated, which, as he said, shows that there are no unresolved issues between the two countries.

The Deputy Prime Minister of Macedonia, Musa Xhaferi, said that during his meeting with Prime Minister Thaçi and Minister, they talked about the future development of relations and shared interests between Kosovo and Macedonia.

“We are two small countries and new states, according to our capacities, and we need as neighboring states to look to each other, to overcome challenges more quickly as young countries and to go beyond regional interests and to achieve projects which include the entire region, relating to infrastructure, or projects of other characters, which are of European and Euro-Atlantic interest”, said Xhaferi.

The Deputy Prime Minister of Macedonia also emphasized the interest of the two countries to intensify educational and cultural cooperation and noted the need to open new border points between the two countries and to advance infrastructural links.

Minister Hoxhaj and Deputy Prime Minister Xhaferi talked about the situation and developments in the north of Kosovo.

Minister Hoxhaj said that the approach of the Kosovo Government to stabilize the situation in the north is the same with the approach applied to the situation in other parts of Kosovo.

He recalled that up to the year 2008-2009 parallel structures existed in all Kosovo’s territory, but at that time with great determination, the Government implemented the Ahtisaari Package and managed to integrate the Serb community in local and central government.

“One ethnic group in one part of Kosovo’s territory cannot have more advanced rights while other parts of the territory have lesser rights, and you know that the majority of Serbs in Kosovo live south of the River Ibër”, said Hoxhaj.

The Foreign Minister of Kosovo also noted that the problem and situation in the north was also of a security character. “From the former heritage of Milosevic, the only remains in the former Yugoslav space are the parallel structures which have remained in the north of Kosovo. In these last 12-13 years, there have been no free elections, no democratic participation of citizens in democratic institutions and our approach is by installing democratic institutions, to integrate that part into the Republic of Kosovo”, said Hoxhaj, expressing the Government’s commitment to the implementation of the Agreement on inter-border management.

“The north is part of Kosovo and will remain part of Kosovo and the Government of the Republic of Kosovo, is interested democratically, in any form and at any cost, to integrate this part with the rest of the state of Kosovo”, said Hoxhaj.