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The chairman of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, Ramush Haradinaj, considers the Central Bank's decision to remove the dinar from use in the areas inhabited by a Serbian majority to be right. He says that the dinar is illegal and that Kosovo has an obligation to implement a law in the country. However, Mr. Haradinaj adds that Kosovo can be flexible on this issue, for a certain period of time.
During the interview with Voice of America, Mr. Haradinaj also talks about the possibilities for soon renewing the process for the implementation of the agreements reached last year between Kosovo and Serbia. He blamed the Kurti government for dealing with mini-crises as he said, forgetting about strategic goals, such as the country's NATO membership. This, says Mr. Haradinaj, would provide a solution to the problems "that Serbia is trying to cause us", in terms of security.
Mr. Haradinaj also spoke about the withdrawal warnings made by the team of defense lawyers of the former President of Kosovo, Hashim Thaçi, who is being tried in The Hague, because he has not been paid by the latter.
For Mr. Haradinaj, it would be painful for Kosovo to leave the defense side without a budget.
Voice of America: Mr. Haradinaj, the latest clash between Kosovo and Serbia is over the issue of the use of the Serbian dinar in areas inhabited by a Serbian majority. The Central Bank does not appear to have backed down from its decision to make the euro the sole currency for cash payments in the country, despite international pressure. In your opinion, is Kosovo entering a cycle similar to that of car license plates and should the Bank suspend such a decision?
Ramush Haradinaj: I believe that the issue of the Serbian dinar in Kosovo is not legal, the use of this currency and I think that the Central Bank has taken the appropriate action. In case there are practical difficulties in implementation, flexibility in time is worth it, as well as enabling, for example, the conversion of dinars or existing revenues. However, it cannot be a continuous practice, the financing of Kosovo Serbs by Serbia in dinars cannot continue, as the dinar is not the currency of Kosovo.
Voice of America: On the other hand, how do you see the pressure (attitude) of the West? In this case, I would also like to refer to the position of Federica Woelk, assistant in the European Parliament, who called it an intervention in the Constitution of Kosovo and severely criticized the bloc for its unfair policy towards Pristina in relation to Serbia.
Ramush Haradinaj: I believe that Kosovo has an interest in implementing the obligations received from the dialogue, as we do not believe that we want to remain in a status-quo, or a situation of continuous crisis management. But the issue of the dinar, Kosovo can be flexible, in a certain period of time. But the dinar is illegal in Kosovo. So Kosovo has an obligation to implement a law in Kosovo, that is, a monetary rule, and it cannot make tolerances, otherwise other currencies, other currencies could operate, so there would be no order in the market.
Voice of America: So to clarify, you are agreeing to postpone the decision making... suspend it temporarily... make it part of the talks maybe?
Ramush Haradinaj: No, the decision is legal, but in the case of implementation practices, Kosovo can show time flexibility in implementation in order to eliminate those first obstacles that have appeared in practice...
Voice of America: The European envoy for the Kosovo-Serbia talks, Miroslav Lajçak, is in Pristina today, to promote the implementation of the agreements reached last year. Do you think there will be a revival of the process soon?
Ramush Haradinaj: I believe that it is of great interest for Kosovo to get out of the status quo and from the management of crises, that is, small crises that are caused and especially those related to security in the north. So we solve every security problem, if we qualify as successful in the dialogue and the NATO membership process is opened to us. So, through membership in NATO, as a strategic goal, we would solve all other mini problems, not only in the north, but in all other aspects of security in Kosovo.
Even my purpose of this visit to the State Department, the Pentagon, the National Security Council, i.e. the White House, and at all levels in Congress, in the Senate, has only one request, to raise the level of relations. Kosovo-America, of the strategic dialogue that Kosovo still does not have and at the same time raise the level of relations in NATO. So open the process of Kosovo's immediate membership in NATO. I believe that the Kurti government is making a mistake. So by dealing with these mini-crises one by one, forgetting the strategic goal which is our qualification before partners, before allies, for membership in NATO. So, joining NATO would solve the problems that Serbia is trying to cause us, the terrorists supported by Serbia...
Voice of America: What should the Kurti government do differently at this time?
Ramush Haradinaj: Duhet menjëherë të përgatisë një plan të përbashkët me Amerikën në këtë rast, me BE-në, për implementim të obligimeve që kemi marrë ne si Kosovë, me qëllim që të marrim pra anëtarësimin në NATO. Vetëm anëtarësimi në NATO i mbyll pra rreziqet për Kosovën. Ndërsa ngecja këtu ku jemi, në një lloj tash status quo-je, mosecja përpara me qëllimin strategjik të integrimeve euroatlantike do të na mbajë çdo herë si palë e përshtatshme për t’u përballur me rreziqe që na i shkakton Serbia, terroristët që i sponsorizon Serbia.
Zëri i Amerikës: Përfshirë këtu edhe çështjen e asocacionit?
Ramush Haradinaj: Është obligim. Është obligim asocacioni. Mirëpo për sa i përket asocacionit, sikurse e dimë, ka vërejtje serioze në draftin e propozuar dhe drafti duhet të kalojë nëpër filtrin e Gjykatës Kushtetuese, në mënyrë pra që të mos lejohet në asnjë mënyrë shkelja e kushtetueshmërisë, daljea nga kushtetueshmëria, sovraniteti dhe integriteti territorial.
Zëri i Amerikës: Edhe qëndrimi juaj është i tillë? E keni parë draftin? Mendoni që ka probleme?
Ramush Haradinaj: Po, po. I kemi dhënë vërejtjen tona për draftin. Edhe nëse shkon në Gjykatë Kushtetuese, nga qeveria nëse dërgohet pra, edhe atje do të dërgojmë amendamentet tona, edhe vërejtjet tona për draftin.
Zëri i Amerikës: Çfarë duhet të ndodhë me çështjen e zgjedhjeve në veri? Duket sikur ka një ngecje, megjithëse firma për peticionet janë mbledhur. Megjithatë nuk ka një përshpejtim të këtij procesi. Kur duhet të ndodhë dhe si?
Ramush Haradinaj: Mendoj që Kurti është gabim. Qeveria jonë është gabim. Qeveria po u jep serbëve një opsion të peticionit, për shkak se nuk ka ekzistuar deri më sot në Kosovë, peticioni i tillë politik, i pastër politik. Më mirë do të ishte që qeveria të ndërmarrë një veprim të vetin, në këtë rast të shpalljes së zgjedhjeve me dorëheqje të kryetarëve. Për shkak se i gjithë procesi, edhe i peticioneve, edhe i shkarkimit të kryetarëve të tashëm, udhëhiqet nga Beogradi. Nuk është në dobinë tonë, në interesin tonë nacional, që këta kryetarë ta zëmë, që i ka vendosur një proces i Kosovës, të na i shkarkojë Beogradi.
Zëri i Amerikës: Zoti Haradinaj, sot u bë e ditur se ekipi i mbrojtjes së ish presidentit të Kosovës Hashim Thaçi, i cili po gjykohet në Hagë, ka paralajmëruar se do të tërhiqet për shkak të mospërmbushjes së detyrimeve financiare nga ana e zotit Thaçi. Ministria e Drejtësisë tha se ka kryer pagesat për avokatët me të cilët ka marrëveshje. Si mund të pasqyrohet kjo situatë në mbrojtjen e zotit Thaçi, duke patur parasysh që ju keni patur dhe një eksperiencë të ngjashme në Hagë. A mund të ketë një rrugëdalje?
Ramush Haradinaj: In my time, Kosovo has not covered any expenses, that is, the state of Kosovo, any defense expenses for me or my colleagues. Even when I was detained in France, even though the Kosovo parliament voted a resolution to cover the costs of my trial in France, they were never paid. Now there is a law. So it is a legal obligation of Kosovo to cover defense costs. I also think that Kosovo should fulfill the legal obligation, that is, the law obliges Kosovo, the government of Kosovo, to cover defense expenses. This is also for the equality of the parties, they say. There are two parties. The party that accuses and the party that defends. The party that accuses him, in this case the prosecution, the court, have their own, sufficient budget. It would be painful for Kosovo to leave the defense side without a budget. / VOA
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