Berlin, 6 May 2010. – The German Chancellor Angela Merkel reaffirmed the readiness of her state to support the Republic of Kosovo in every field. She expressed this commitment during a meeting with the President of Republic of Kosovo, Dr. Fatmir Sejdiu, who is staying for an official visit to the German state.
Ministers Skender Hyseni, Ahmet Shala and Lutfi Zharku, as well as Republic of Kosovo’s Berlin-based Ambassador Mr. Vilson Mirdita accompanied President Sejdiu at the meeting.
Chancellor Merkel underscored that Kosovo’s territorial integrity is inviolable. “We will never accept Kosovo’s division”, she affirmed.
“Kosovo’s status issue has been settled once and for good and we have told this to Serbia”, added Chancellor Merkel, saying “Kosovo is the last stone that stands on the way to establishing a new order in the Balkan”.
Chancellor Merkel also reminded that Germany is actively involved in ensuring a further international recognition to the Republic of Kosovo.
“It is in our common interest that Kosovo develops”, Ms. Merkel said. Reminding in this regard of good relations between Kosovo and Germany, she expressed again the commitment of her state to support an economic growth in Kosovo, including other fields.
At the meeting with Ms. Merkel, President Sejdiu said that Kosovo remains forever grateful to Germany for the continuous support that this state has provided to our country.
He asked Chancellor Merkel and other German leaders to urge German investors into investing in Kosovo, in order to contribute directly to an increase in the level of economic cooperation between the two countries and to boost an economic growth in our country, which is still facing a high rate of unemployment, especially among the youth. He said that Kosovo has a young, proficient, qualified and professional workforce and proposed possibilities be reviewed to employ seasonal workers from Kosovo in Germany and in other developed western countries.
President Sejdiu reminded that scenarios predicted by the opponents of the independence, who used to say that Kosovo would become an unstable country, have not become a reality and that a further international recognition to Kosovo, the development of the state institutions and the two years that have followed the declaration of independence of our country have proved the opposite.
He reminded that Kosovo maintains very good relations with its neighboring countries, with the exception of Serbia, which is maintaining an obstructive position, declining to recognize the new reality that has been created in the state of Kosovo and discouraging the members of the Kosovo Serb community from acknowledging this reality, by financing the parallel structures in our country.
President Sejdiu also referred to the integration of minorities in the Kosovar society, highlighting that members of the Serb community have also participated in the last round of municipal elections, have run and taken over the governance in three municipalities and that they will also participate in another round of elections due to be held in June in a new municipality with a Serbian majority.
During the meeting, President Sejdiu also mentioned the extension of the international presence in our country, that of KFOR in particular. He said that KFOR downsizing should take place in line with the professional advancement of the Kosovo Security Force and the level of stability in our country.