carefully, don't know how this in to get going. i feel the magic discover the world around you. subscribe to d w documentary on youtube. the war in ukraine has raised political tensions throughout europe, but notably between kosovo and serbia, in brussels. officials have told both sides to cool their rhetoric and one cost of other without an agreement to normalize relations with belgrade. the time for joining the e. u is running out. my guess this week from christina is alban corte prime

minister of casa. i agree that we do not have too much time and we live in time, so not too dangerous, but also unpredictability. so therefore, i'm not sure that we even have 2 years with the corte claims, whose country is the democratic success story of the west balkans. but what about the corruption discrimination and harassment of journalists and more than 20 years after the conflict in kosovo? why are a 1000 war crimes case is still pending for? i'll be in court a welcome to conflict on you for having me. 2 months after moscow's invasion of ukraine you posted on facebook that peace and security in the western balkans have never been more threatened. what made you say that? first of all, serbia was historically client regime

of kremlin. and. busy with the unjustified russian invasion and military aggression in ukraine. we have seen this by the increasing popularity and admiration in serbia by despotic president. secondly, serbia has been investing in its military equipment by getting new argument from our bellows, from russian federation and from china, including joined military activities, namely out of 91 which were planned last year. they have exercises $104.00, so they have exceeded their plan of military cooperation in joint military activities with russian federation. and they have $48.00 for work opperation basis

around board the $28.00 of them being military and 20 of those of gender media. but, you know, crime was the prime minister that they intended to use them. and in any case, you have 3 nato countries on your border and the nature let peacekeeping force on your territory. so what is exactly the threat that you've been talking about? well, i never said that you have a face, but i always said that it is, it is possible to consider that they might not attack. and we should be very careful and vigilant. because number one sort of does not recognize the republic of crossovers independent country and therefore does not recognize our borders. secondly, they do not acknowledge crimes committed in the past and they never distance themselves from that. from the last service, which means natal intervene in spring 1999 to stop in genocide and go solo.

and the 3rd link, they keep ever close military, economic and cultural links with kremlin. therefore, we cannot excludes their readiness and even willingness to attack crossover in the future. but me to see you say that, but in august, the diplomatic service of the e. you want both, you and serbia not to raise the temperature with your rhetoric, saying the recent increase in inflammatory rhetoric in particular the statements about war and conflict. and the western vulcans are of great concern. and it also called on you to stop the dangerous statements and act responsibly. do you recognize that your words were irresponsible? of course not. i was just pointing at the facts. for example, energy sector in serbia is dominated by gospel which phones of 56 percent of fears in gas in the oil industry are serbia,

likewise and gas from all of the majority of shares in the largest gas storage installed and eastern europe in the morning. we were the not in serbia . then the regional base of sputnik openly is in belgrade in nice, which is 100 miles far away from, you know, they have the so called russian humanitarian center. we find some agents in it and the time and again, they say that it is not the 1st time of the law in $1099.00, meaning that they will plan to return it at some point when the window of opportunity will be convenient for them. so i just point out to their declination until the facts on the ground. so it is not only about software extensions, it's about the hardware extensions. and that has to do very much with serbia getting equipped from an option for the racial. they have 14 mix,

298 or donation from bellows, and 6 are from russian federation. and they also have received recently after adoption. envision a huge grin of very sophisticated defense systems, so called different from the people's republic of china and no sign problem that they intended to use any of this. you've joined the sanctions against russia, which is helpful to the west and appreciate it in western capital's. what's far less appreciated is that both you and serbia continue to argue and sniper to each other, to the point where nato actually had to threaten to intervene. you're the general secretary started back, said should stability be jeopardized. k for stands ready to intervene and will take any measures that are necessary to ensure a safe and secure environment to accept that all this is actually gone too far. we are independent country and though we have to exercise rule of law in

every square kilometer or a fall territory, including the northern part where some illegal tunnel structures of serbia are active. therefore we would have not intervening in serbia. certainly it was trying to destabilize console in the 31st of july of this year. they have erected 13 barricade with certain combat readiness of where people that they keep in their payroll since 1999. an armed people in order to not allow freedom of movement and it looks law in control because of a route of id cards and number plates, which your government provoked while a major war is being fought in the middle of europe. couldn't this route have weighted the use foreign policy chief us at barrow was pretty fed up with your timing. with a war raging, he said now was

a moment to seek peace and stability. not long standing differences do not see his point. b t r, jeopardized by illegal structures of sort of yeah. fool with people what hopes of blacklisted by us treasury in, in addition to having arrest warrants by our police. so these people are arresting, decent stability and cause so why is way more democratic that sort of. yeah, and i must say also way more independent country has been sort of yeah, because we are in the line of covenant. so putting my government and celebrate in the same sentence is not fair. well, we'll come on to your democracy in a moment. but if you look at this from the west perspective, the war in kosovo has been over for more than 20 years. and yet, you still need an international peacekeeping force of several 1000 troops in your country. do you seriously think that either nato or the you would sanction your

membership while your country still requires that force on stand by in your territory? we need nato precisely because of serbia and precisely because. 1 having such close and wide range of links with adoption federation. nonetheless, i have increased by 52 percent of budget for our defense coastal security force and ministry of defense. and we look forward to fulfill the 2 percent criteria natal. we want to join nato. meanwhile, we have natal with goes over the 1st milestone towards membership into natal. should be partnership for peace program because is a pro quest pro democratic. we have no tentative but name to and you and this should be if you wanted mr. kirsty, the fact is that the e u is running out of patience with your feud. when serbia you've been given

a deadline of may 2024 for sorting out your differences and normalizing relations. do you accept the chances of you joining the e u r. now fading, unless you can meet the deadline. of course, always a normal democratic sovereign country, serbia is not a normal country, even according to freedom house. they have hybrid, which is a euphemism for, i'll talk and say. and i must admit, acknowledge that the relations between us or what instead of we are not normal, we need to normalize them. and die looking process is the way for what this dialogue must be concluded with legally binding agreement, which has as a centerpiece, mutual recognition. we cannot have a sustainable and just agreement without neutral recognition as the centerpiece. but do you accept that window of opportunity which the e. u envoy mirrors like chat, talked about, will close in less than 2 years. meaning that by then by may 2024. the

subject of your membership will be off the table unless a binding legal agreement on normalization has been reach. you take that warning seriously. i agree that we do not have too much time and we live in time, so not the danger, but also predictability. therefore, i'm not sure that we even have to use we should do it as soon as possible and the to this, and i'm ready to be engaged creatively and constructively, in these talks in brussels whenever they invite us. you say that but to both you and serbia, blame each other for the poor state of relations, but your government could have done more to improve the situation, couldn't it? well, we always can do more. but our government is the most successful one. since we declare independence in terms of socio economic development and quote, democracy,

we are not the big country, but we are a great example of what economy development and democracy go hand demand, which is very important for the struggles regarding narrative in this century. namely, there are some autocratic superpowers and powers who want to show that becoming development does not need democracy. we are showing that democracy and economy must go together. there can be no democracy without human rights and develop pluralism. and so a lot, even though not a big country is a great example of this. well, talking of democracy earlier this year, the, you and the, i see were very disappointed that you walked back a previous practice, but would have allowed the o. s. c, e to arrange for cost of our subs to vote in serbian elections that caused some anger among the emissions, including the u. k. and the us. so my question to you is, was it worth it?

the u. s. mission, to the se, said in april, we had hoped, costs of, i would facilitate eligible costs of citizens participation in the sub, in election via polling stations in cost of as it had in the past. we are disappointed a pragmatic solution could not be found. it's your fault, but there was no pragmatic solution, isn't it? election single, so organized by 30 are not acceptable because so it's not part of sort of i counted them in the past. you accepted many things in the past or not. right. and now it is much better because we are establishing the process, the principal sort of, you cannot do something to go so a lot if they are not ready to enjoy and practice if they are on hold for a few projects that we are applying is not the means of retaliation, but it comes as a ration from the concept of equality. so if you process the means equality,

we're not again sort of. but we cannot allow anymore, thought to be up to pretend that way can the civilized crossover, and that they can control console lot by menu too late in the instrumental ising service. of course, all who are are sick. but if you keep going back on agreements that were in place, it has to put in doubt how, how genuine your design is to normalize relations with serbia. i mean, i ask this question because your history doesn't suggest that you know, that keen on doing it in january 2018. you were convicted of throwing care gas in parliament 3 years earlier about time you were actually protesting measures, specifically designed to normalize those relations. do you regret what you did in 2015 or would you do it again? i was told by life of political and social activities to engage in direct action.

but whenever i seen that i was radical, that was due to the topic, not due to my character. so it was never right because my character, but sometimes there were some extreme topics who wanted to really all know, statehood and independence. and then i did like collections in now those cases, for example, i was opposing a community of sort of majority municipalities because precisely in early ninety's, serbia was doing visit ball and have to go vina. and that is the very history of a public, a cover which is undermining the rhetorical integrity and sort of the ball. you have to go be not, we are not going to allow boston is ation of solar. and precisely, this conviction made me look as a radical opposition politicians, an activist prime minister in may, you went to washington and you declared, as you said a moment ago,

that cost of was the most democratic success story of the region. but the fact is that both washington and e, you still have serious concerns about your own democratic credentials, human rights, corruption, discrimination against minorities, as well as lack of justice for war. criminals in cost of a have you over sold your achievement to the international community? oh, we did good, huge progress, but we are still far from what we aim at our progress by 17 places in its fight against corruption and transparency. international corruption perception index around 17 places a port for good. and then we rose another 17 places when it comes to world press freedom index reporters with our borders and co. so what is number one in the balkans regarding rule of law, number 16, the world. but one 3rd of states all around the world. only crossover from the

western bulk, and we have been conducting over 800 police operations in combat in organized crime and high level corruption. over 2200 people have been arrested and around 300 of them are public or state officials. so we are doing very well in fighting corruption and corruption inconsolable if there is still some where it is to do with systemic reasons. but it is never the culture of population. that's why we are going to advocate it. and this makes it members, pharmacy, you highlighted the cost of ours, improved its ranking on the corruption perception index. but this us state department report was scathing about the levels of corruption and lack of transparency and government. would you not accept that you have a very long way to go before the you will trust you with membership and trust that

its money will not fall into corrupt hands? the state department report admit that you'll notice that provides criminal penalties for corrupt officials. but it accuses your government of not implementing the law effectively. that's fair comment, isn't it? we do as best as we can and know, and both you and us know very well that our government is the most pro democratic and pro western. since we declared independence, we are engaged in vetting process because we need to render active on prosecution and efficient our district. that's why a vesting package has been handled to the parliament of the sofa by my government. so we increased both moral and professional integrity of our judges and prosecutors, and that we will see incredible results, which will be an example to not only our region last year,

the anti corruption agency and the national audit office filed 9 corruption related indictments just 9 are you proud of that? how long is it going to take you to make any meaningful inroads into the corruption among corrupt officials who know how to play your system very well done. they well, we've done that so far, but so i must say that now with office 4, confiscation of inexplicably obtained ro, and illegally obtain 12, we are going to move forward as fast. again, we need the help of you in order to do this vetting process as soon as possible. and the finally just this in close to a b normal think are all the vent luxury. i can therefore i'm optimistic about this, but again, it has to do with changes which has to happen in the state structure and which are

not linked with the democratic elections where we reached landslide victory in february, last year, you mentioned the press earlier, another big problem is the media landscape in kosovo. you don't have state censorship as such, but intimidation and harassment of journalists widespread. what are you doing to counteract that are on you bothered by it? well, according to world freedom index, we rose by 17 places, according to reporters, without borders estimation. they were doing much better than in the past. but i think now that the media are much more endangered from different businesses and then from state institutions. so our government is an instance of power which wants to help the media,

where it is the financing of, of different online media, which is of a much greater pressure on them and is risking of freedom of the press. you, you say that, but by the end of last year, the association of john list of costs of reported 26 instances of government officials, business in chess, community groups, violating press freedom by physically assaulting or virtually threatening journalists. did you even know about this? well, i know that there are examples and they are being made public, but there is no example of pressure on the media or intimidation which does not come all publicly. now. whereas in the past, you have cases when intimate nation was not even know. however, the number of implementations and pressure in the media is decreasing in google prime minister. let's talk about the issue of war crimes. there's

a long way to go to bring justice for war crimes committed in kosovo in the late ninety's. have you lost interest in pursuing justice for the victims and their families? of course not vetting process of the prosecution must bring better prosecutors and larger number of those who are going to pursue war. crank crimes, cases that are pending according to the head of the war. crimes department at the cost of a special prosecution, a $1000.00 war crimes pending. that's a shocking statistic. after all this time, isn't it? yes. and it's 23 years since the end of the war and they should have done better and more. and that's why i'm saying that our prosecutors were generally passive. you know, sometimes corruption comes out of passivity. not necessarily by wrong doing. and we have to have more prosecutors and better prosecutors. 10000 unarmed civilians have

been killed. 20000 women and girls have been rate 120000 houses have been destroyed . and still we do have over 1600 missing persons. so that is enormous amount of war. crimes that have not been addressed and for which victims and families of justice has not been. and a lot of the problem has been witness intimidation by people who hence the fact that you had to set up the cost of a specialist chambers in the hate to get rid of this or to counteract the effect of this witness intimidation. you have a problem with the court operating in the hike. in 2019, you said you didn't support this court. i did not vote for amending the constitution. so in this special court, i believe that we need normal course not special court. and this court has one leg in kosovo, v like in, hey, in netherlands,

and it cannot be priced. what is transparency? i must say. we are caught in cost of a one doing the job worth a. well, you had a former prosecutor at the international criminal tribunal color del ponte, a saying witnesses in cost of a was so afraid and intimidated that they even fit to talk about the cost of liberation army presents in some areas. those willing to testify had to be transferred to other countries with that entire families. what choice was that? but to take the court to the hague? what choice specialist chambers in another lives they deal only with customer liberation, army and obedience, which is not fair. on given hand, the former chief prosecutor met them a couple of the old lists, angry book out for not being successful and i see the why hague tribunal. so i think that that has not been an equality of arms in treatment for

crimes in go. so can you imagine that for a 150000 non serbs which have been killed all over the slog in croatia balls. and so you have not even $200.00 of service being tried and convicted. so i think that in the name of peace, they have been pressuring more of the week of sight. but go, so why is getting stronger now? and i think that we will not forget these crimes were committed to go over. and we do not want to absolve any criminal in spite of this new city or sizes which were dick. but i must say that in the case of castilla, the justice for albanians who endured certainly, and genocide is far from being. all right. while these arguments will go on and

this is a subject obviously that does a lot of emotion. prime minister cutty, thank you so much for being on complex own. thank you. a blue blue with

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ah ah ah, this is dw news live from berlin. russia resumes its attacks on ukrainian cities hitting the key region. and the southern city of nikolai were rescue workers are seen here pulling a boy from the rubble of an apartment building damaged in overnight res nato. countries say they'll supply more power.