Pusić and Thaci talk Kosovo's European future, Croatian minority

(Hina) – First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Vesna Pusić met today with Kosovar First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Hashim Thaci

(Hina) – First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Vesna Pusić met today with Kosovar First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Hashim Thaci, who is on an official visit to Croatia.

Pusić and Thaci discussed bilateral cooperation, cooperation in the region with the responsibility of all countries to improve relations, and the European prospects of Southeast European countries.

Pusić said Croatia and Kosovo continued to cooperate in many topics – economic, political and European. She said Croatia-Kosovo relations were good but that they could be expanded, notably in the economy. She recalled that Croatia's Dalekovod electrical engineering company recently landed a very important contract in Kosovo, saying Croatia would like to land all the contracts in Kosovo that had been advertised, provided that it met all the requirements.

“We believe that our companies have the know-how and the experience, primarily in infrastructure projects and information technology projects, such as the digitalisation of Kosovo's radio and television,” Pusić said, adding that the two countries should facilitate that by signing a double taxation avoidance agreement, which is expected soon.

Speaking of the relations in the region, Pusić said that all countries, including Croatia and Kosovo, must contribute to their development and improvement as well as assume responsibility for the stabilisation of the region. She said the Serbia-Kosovo agreement was a big step forward towards that goal.

Pusić and Thaci also discussed the position of the Croatian minority in Kosovo, notably the protection of its property rights, as well as Croatia's participation in the NATO-led international peacekeeping Kosovo Force (KFOR), which both praised.

“We also signed a big agreement on European partnership which formalises the framework of our cooperation in the reform of Kosovo institutions under European standards,” Pusić told the press, recalling that Croatia and Kosovo already worked together on that through the Centre of Excellence.

Thaci thanked Croatia for being among the first to have recognised Kosovo's independence. He said the European partnership agreement was very important because it enabled Kosovo to take over Croatia's experience and know-how in European integration.

He wished for Croatian companies to contribute to Kosovo's economic progress, inviting Croatian investors to Kosovo and announcing that it would do everything to facilitate investments.

“Kosovo is working on the improvement of the rights of all minority communities and we will soon change the Constitution, putting the Croatian minority too in institutions, first and foremost in parliament and the executive authority,” Thaci said, vowing that Kosovo's government would push for property restitution, notably that of inhabitants of areas with a Croat majority such as Janjevo.

He said Kosovo would work on the stabilisation of the region, not just by implementing the Brussels agreement with Serbia, but also other agreements on which it was working with the mediation of European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini.

He was hopeful that Kosovo would soon sign a Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the EU, saying Kosovo would continue to work on drawing closer to NATO and UN membership.

Press releases