Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said today that relations with Serbia are returning to the beginning and that all communication will be reduced to the request “free the three Kosovo policemen” until they are released.
Izvor: YouTube/Printscreen/AtlanticCouncil
In the transcript of the press conference, which was published on the official website of the Government of Albania, it is stated that Rama said that he will not stop the trade, but all communication will be limited to the story of the three arrested policemen.
The Albanian Prime Minister said that the detention of Kosovo policemen is harmful for the relations between Albania and Serbia, for Serbia itself and for the region, and that there is no question of the development of relations between the two countries until the issue of the arrest of Kosovo policemen is resolved.
Rama assessed that there can be no progress in the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina while the three Kosovo police officers are in prison in Serbia.
“I repeat the appeal for the immediate unconditional release of the three Kosovo policemen, not only because it is a violation of human rights, but because without the return of the three policemen home, there is no room for progress with the de-escalation plan,” said Rama.
He said that even if they crossed the “border line”, it is known that people are arrested for crossing the border illegally, interrogated and sent back with a temporary ban on entering the country, and that it is unjustified and unacceptable to keep them in prison for days.
Rama added that – although Serbia claims that Serbs in the north of Kosovo are being arbitrarily arrested – it is not solved by keeping the Albanian police officers “hostage”, but it is solved in cooperation with KFOR and EULEX.
(FoNet)