The next government in Kosovo should prioritize relations with the United States, says former diplomat Avni Spahiu.

Spahiu, who has been Kosovo's ambassador to the United States of America, says of KosovaPress, that Kosovo institutions should engage powerful lobbying companies in the US to deepen bilateral cooperation between the two countries. He says that currently Kosovo-US relations are damaged, but they can be repaired.

The Kosovo government, led by Prime Minister Albin Kurti, has on several occasions been criticized by senior American officials regarding its actions in northern Kosovo.

Even the new US envoy for special missions, Richard Grenell, said that Kosovo-US relations are at the lowest level, blaming Prime Minister Albin Kurti for the responsibility.

Former diplomat Spahiu in an interview for KosovaPress He also talks about the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, the Association of Serb-majority Municipalities, and the need to form a stable government.

"I don't think we are at a stage where the relations are completely at risk, I think they are repairable, and they can serve as a warning to us to be careful in this regard... I think this has to do with each government that will come, relations with the US should have priority. Of course, this existing government that has been in place so far has some obligations that it is expected to implement or continue the process until the end so that some continuity is sought. But every other government will face the challenges that we are facing, especially with Serbia. And every party that comes to power, whatever coalition it may be, should attach importance to relations with America, and through our greater engagement in Washington, lobbying for other official visits, a more proactive policy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and diplomatic representatives, we should focus with all our strength on returning these relations to the level they were in the past," says Spahiu.

However, he states that the government must also be cautious in its relationship with the US, especially now with the Trump Administration.

According to him, governments in Kosovo have made small mistakes in their relationship with the US, losing the credibility of the partnership.

"Our governments have made small mistakes from time to time in these reports, and these can sow reservations in our partner that we begin to lose credibility. Losing credibility means defocusing attention, and this for a country that has not yet been fully consolidated, and with a sovereignty that is not yet complete, is not something positive, but we must make efforts to have Washington's attention and assistance in these aspects... We have had some things that we can consider as mistakes and we hope to learn from them. We have had cases where we have not taken many of Washington's offers seriously, even in the economic aspect, we have had some cases where instead of strengthening economic relations with the US, in the political aspect, especially in the aspect of talks with Serbia, some of the moves we have made have not been fully coordinated with our main partner. And I think this has contributed to the cooling of relations," he adds.

Regarding the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, former diplomat Spahiu says that there is new momentum and that now with the new leadership in the EU and the US, it remains to be seen what direction this process will take.

However, he says that Kosovo should not agree to implement anything unilaterally without receiving strong guarantees from both Serbia and the international community.

Kosovo and Serbia reached the Brussels Agreement and the Ohrid Annex in 2023, but have not yet started its implementation.

This deal also includes the establishment of the Association, but Spahiu says that at this point this topic should be put to rest, as Kosovo should not establish one now.

"I think we have a new momentum. I think that this negotiation process or normalization talks with Serbia will undergo a change, now we will see what directions it will take, but the issues that have been discussed so far, have been on that agenda until now, may change. For example, the issue of the Association, now I think it is creating new circumstances. It is increasingly unreliable in terms of Serbia, that it would even accept if this Association were formed without any conditions by Kosovo. We cannot accept something that is accompanied by ambiguity and categorical rejection of Kosovo's independence and statehood... The issue of the Association should cease at this moment. I do not think that now Kosovo should unilaterally establish this without any guarantees from either the international community or Serbia," he declares.

To succeed in the international arena and strengthen Kosovo's statehood, Spahiu says that Kosovo needs a stable government after the February 9 elections.

"It is difficult, as we are seeing, there must be a problem in that aspect, although if we have a strong partnership with other parties, there should be at least two actors who would create a majority and a strong government, this would be the best solution, otherwise a weak government does not promise much and could pose a problem for the future," Spahiu emphasizes.

/Kosovapress/