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During a meeting with Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti (48) in Bern on Friday, Federal President Alain Berset (51) called on both Kosovo and Serbia to implement the Brussels and Ohrid agreements negotiated in the spring.
The agreements are intended to contribute to the normalization of relations between the two countries. Berset emphasized Switzerland’s support for this standardization process, as the Federal Ministry of the Interior (EDI) announced on Friday.
Switzerland supports membership of the Council of Europe
Credible steps and pragmatism are needed in Serbia and Kosovo to get the process moving again. In this context, the steps taken by both parties in the agreements were discussed, including the Kosovo government’s commitment to guarantee an adequate level of self-government to the Serb-majority communities in northern Kosovo, the EDI said.
Switzerland supports the desired admission of Kosovo to the Council of Europe, especially because this would give all residents of the country – and therefore also members of the Serb minority – access to the European Court of Human Rights.
Economic potential not exhausted
During the discussions, the Federal President emphasized the great value that Switzerland attaches to a prosperous region of the Western Balkans, it was said. Bilateral relations between Switzerland and Kosovo have developed economically, but the potential has not yet been exhausted.
The second largest number of foreign direct investments in Kosovo comes from Switzerland. Relations are particularly close thanks to the Kosovan diaspora: about 115,000 Kosovars live in Switzerland, and in total about 180,000 people in this country have Kosovan roots.
Kosovo, whose independence was one of the first countries to be recognized by Switzerland in 2008, is now also a focus of international cooperation. The Swiss military has also been involved in promoting peace at the local level since 1999. Most recently, Swisscoy’s commitment was extended until 2026. (SDA)
Source:Blick
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