Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Kosovo Hashim Thaçi has stressed that stability can only come to the Balkans after Serbia formally recognizes the independence of Kosovo, but added that Kosovo and Serbia must move forward to normalize their relations.

In an exclusive interview with Today's Zaman on the anniversary of Kosovo's declaration of independence on Feb. 17, 2008, Thaçi said: “We cannot forget what was done in 1999, nor can the Balkans be fully stable until Serbia formally recognizes the independence of Kosovo. But with the historic Brussels Agreement, Serbia agreed to normalize relations by recognizing the reality on the ground and the absolute authority of the Kosovo government and constitution in the entire territory of Kosovo.”

The EU brokered an agreement in Brussels between Kosovo and Serbia back in April 2013. “We must move forward for the sake of our children and work further on normalizing relations,” said Thaçi, who served as the first prime minister of Kosovo.

Thaçi said the EU-brokered agreement “was good in many respects,” as all Kosovo Serbs participated in local and national elections, running as candidates within the legal framework of the state of Kosovo.

“The new government of Kosovo now includes representatives of the Serb communities from the northern part of Kosovo, where they hold two ministerial positions. The dialogue process is continuing. This month we had a new round of dialogue at a political level to abolish illegal Serbian courts in north Kosovo. Serbia had to agree that Kosovo laws are only applicable in Kosovo,” Thaçi said.

“The biggest challenge I see as we move forward is the implementation of what we agree on. This is a process that must happen more quickly. The end of it will be when Kosovo's flag flies over the Embassy of Kosovo in Belgrade,” he added.

Thaçi said Kosovo is recognized as a sovereign republic by 108 countries, as well as by international organizations such as the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC). “The process has been successful, although we will continue to seek new recognitions,” he said.

Thaçi stressed that 35 out of 57 members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) have recognized Kosovo. “Kosovo is a secular country, but the majority of its population is Muslim. We are working on reaching all countries, explaining to them the case of Kosovo and the need to recognize Kosovo,” Thaçi said.

Thaçi underlined that becoming a NATO and EU member is Kosovo's aspiration “as quickly as it can.” He said over 90 percent of Kosovars want to be in the EU and trust NATO.

This year Kosovo will complete the process of transforming the Kosovo Security Force into the Kosovo Armed Forces, in full cooperation and coordination with NATO, Thaçi said, adding that reforms in the security sector will pave the way for Kosovo to become a member of the Partnership for Peace program and later a member of the NATO alliance. “We thank Turkey for its support in increasing the capacities of the Kosovo security forces,” he added.

Thaçi pointed out that one of the main challenges is the “sincere commitment of the EU and NATO to accept new members.”

“Very often we hear about ‘enlargement fatigue' and the EU officials have explicitly stated that there will be no new members in the next five years. I fear the wait will be even longer and this can unsettle the Balkans. Turkey knows far too well what I mean by delays in Brussels. This risks discouraging the efforts of the Western Balkan countries to move quickly towards the EU,” Thaçi stated.

“Kosovo and all the countries of the Western Balkans should become EU members sooner rather than later,” said Thaçi.

According to him, one of the main challenges faced by Kosovo is the fact that it is still not recognized by five EU member states: Spain, Slovakia, Romania, Greece and Cyprus. “It is important to note that these countries have not recognized Kosovo due to their internal political developments and not because they are against the state of Kosovo,” he said.

Relations with Turkey

When asked to comment on the nature of Turkey-Kosovo relations, Thaçi said Kosovo enjoys “brotherly” relations with Turkey.

“Turkey was among the first countries to recognize Kosovo and to establish bilateral relations with Prishtina. We also have to recall the unforgettable solidarity and assistance shown by Turkey during the war in Kosovo, when as many as 1 million Kosovo Albanians were expelled from Kosovo under an attempted genocide. Turkey received thousands of these refugees and they found here [in Turkey] a home and compassion,” he said.

Stressing that Turkey is an important investor in Kosovo's economy, Thaçi said Kosovo would like to see mutual economic cooperation and investments advanced further. He pointed out that an American-Turkish consortium, Bechtel-Enka, built a highway linking Kosovo with Albania and is now contracted to build a highway linking Pristina with Skopje in Macedonia.

Turkey has been criticized due to its policy of trying to revive the Ottoman-era power over the region. However, Thaçi rejects those claims. “Turkey is an important investor in Kosovo and in the region,” he said, adding: "It is normal for states that grow economically to seek new spheres of interest and influence. Our opinion about the Turkish policy towards the Balkans is based on our experience with Turkey.”

"This is an experience of mutual cooperation on equal terms, cooperation from which all sides benefit. More important, with the EU as our ultimate goal, we should cooperate more in helping each other, and the whole region, to move closer to the EU,” he said.

When asked about how Kosovo deals with the efforts of radical Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) militants to recruit in the region, Thaçi said Kosovo, like all other countries in the region, is not immune to radical Islam and ISIL's ideology.

He believes the number of people joining ISIL from the Balkans is not as high as in other countries in Europe, but the Balkan countries take this matter seriously and try to develop a comprehensive and multi-dimensional approach. Almost 100 people have been arrested since last summer, he said, in the fight against extremism and terrorism.

Turkey has also been a target of criticism in the West, due to being a transit country turning a blind eye to foreign fighters crossing into Syria and Iraq to join ISIL. “The easiest route from the Balkans to the Middle East is via Turkey, although I believe that those who intend to reach ISIL use other routes as well,” said Thaçi.

“Authorities in Kosovo are in close and constant contact with their counterparts in Turkey and we have had very good cooperation. Religious extremism and terrorism it [ISIL] promotes is a threat to us all and only through working together will we be able to fight and win this threat to our way of life, to our values and to our aspirations,” he added.