prime minister, we re almost out of time, we can t afford to go through too much history, ijust need a simple answer from you. are you still arguing that the constitution needs to be changed and that kosovans need to have a referendum on whether to be integrated with albania? is that your vision for the future of kosovo? i consider unfair, injustice, that there is no possibility to have referendum. and that referendum would be an expression of the freedom of the people. but now, this time, here where i am, i have been elected forjobs and justice and this is what i will be doing in the many years to come. independence of kosovo is not against serbs, and independence of kosovo, first of all, it is independence from serbia and not from albania. throughout your political career, you ve been seen as something of a firebrand, a guy who was prepared to take
but now, this time, here where i am, i have been elected forjobs and justice and this is what i will be doing in the many years to come. independence of kosovo is not against serbs, and independence of kosovo, first of all, it is independence from serbia and not from albania. throughout your political career, you ve been seen as something of a firebrand, a guy who was prepared to take direct action, even to let off tear gas in the parliamentary chamber. some worry that you are a force for instability in the balkans. what s your message to the people who fear that you could bring great damage to your country and the region? 50.28% voted for us in the last elections and three top candidates in our winning list now are chairing three main institutions
he s been a political prisoner, he launched five tear gas attacks on his own parliament and he has a vision of kosovo unifying with albania. so is he a source of instability in the balkans? theme music plays. prime minister albin kurti in pristina, welcome to hardtalk. thank you for having me. prime minister, your predecessors as leaders of kosovo have all put a big priority in trying to normalise relations with serbia, trying to make peace with serbia.
of serb majority municipalities in kosovo was not implemented, no serb of kosovo protested, ever. it was always belgrade who was angry. and in the 1991, 26th of april, a0 municipalities with serb majority in bosnia and herzegovina, they got together, created their association. 9th of january 1992, they declared independence. 28th of february 1992, they got the constitution, and finally, 14th of december 1995 in dayton ohio, international recognition. the want to repeat bosnian kosovo. i m not going to allow this, be that in opposition or the government, and that s that people voted me, to prevent bosniasation of kosovo. i am confident that with our programme, we are going to help serbs as much as albanians. if you ask serbs in kosovo what are your key complaints or requirements, they will sayjobs and justice. but belgrade wants to have a state within a state. a state of serbia within the
are two top priorities. taken into consideration that we are now amidst a pandemic, covid 19, of course, this means the dialogue with serbia has fallen at best number four in our democratic state building agenda for our independent republic. isn t the truth, if you talk about democratic state building, that nothing can really happen. there can be no real progress toward a more prosperous, more stable kosovo unless you have a normal relationship with your neighbour serbia. so, in the end, surely it s that which must come first. that is an important part of good neighbourly relations, but i must say that kosovo in this year has seen an unprecedented economic growth and our central bank foresees a growth of 9.9% gdp and we took office when last year we saw a contraction of 3.1% of our gdp.