Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti called for the normalisation of relations with Serbia ahead of upcoming early elections, but stressed the difficulty while Belgrade still refuses recognition and has not admitted wartime crimes. Kurti said implementation of a 2023 EU-brokered normalisation accord would require at least de facto mutual recognition and demanded Serbia hand over Milan Radoicic before talks can resume. He warned that Serbia's ties with Russia risk regional destabilisation, and highlighted closer cooperation with the United States as Kosovo seeks NATO integration. Kurti aims to exceed 50% support after winning 42.3% in February.
Kosovo's Kurti Calls for Normalised Ties With Serbia Ahead of Early Vote
Kurti is running for office again in the forthcoming elections (Armend NIMANI)(Armend NIMANI/AFP/AFP)
Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti told AFP that Kosovo and Serbia must "normalise" their relations, remarks delivered days before early legislative elections in which he is campaigning to strengthen his mandate.
Kurti, who has led Kosovo since 2021, noted that previous accords with Belgrade — which continues to refuse recognition of Kosovo's independence — remain incompletely implemented. He stressed that normalising ties with a neighbouring government that neither recognises Kosovo nor acknowledges wartime abuses is a difficult task.
"We need to normalise relations with Serbia," Kurti said. "But normalising relations with a neighbouring authoritarian regime that doesn't recognise you, that also doesn't admit to the crimes committed during the war, is quite difficult."
Implementation, Recognition and Preconditions
Kurti reminded audiences that an EU-brokered normalisation agreement was signed in 2023 and said the key challenge now is implementation. He argued that implementing the accord will require mutual recognition, at least de facto, between Kosovo and Serbia.
However, Kurti made clear that Belgrade must extradite Milan Radoicic — a prominent Kosovo Serb accused of plotting an attack in northern Kosovo in 2023 — before meaningful dialogue can resume. Kurti said he expects pressure from Brussels, Paris and Berlin on Serbia to surrender Radoicic to Kosovar authorities.
Geopolitical Risks: Russia and Energy Links
Kurti warned that Serbia's continued ties with Moscow and reliance on Russian energy increase the risk that Russia could exploit renewed tensions in the Balkans to destabilise Kosovo. "There are many links," he said, adding that if Moscow sought to project instability toward Western Europe, Serbia could be counted on as an ally — a prospect he described as deeply worrying.
He said Kosovo is working with international partners to reduce that risk and to shore up regional stability.
Strengthening Ties With the United States
In recent months Kosovo has cultivated closer relations with Washington as it pursues NATO aspirations. Measures include removing tariffs on U.S. goods and accepting up to 50 migrants extradited by the United States; to date, only one such migrant has arrived.
"We are not asking for any financial assistance in return," Kurti said. "We are doing this to help the United States, which is a partner, an ally, a friend." He added that similar arrangements with European partners are possible.
Domestic Politics and the Early Vote
Kurti called early elections after his party failed to secure enough seats in February 2025 to form a government, resulting in 10 months of parliamentary deadlock. He said his movement needs a decisive victory this time: "In February, we won 42.3 percent, and this time we want to exceed 50 percent."
The vote will be closely watched both for its domestic implications and for its impact on Kosovo-Serbia relations and wider regional stability.
Reporting by AFP; translated and edited for clarity.
