Thaci blasts Kurti's statement that war could come to Kosovo over Montenegro deal

Pristina, 22 September 2016 (MIA) - Kosovan President Hashim Thaci strongly condemned a statement from nationalist politician Albin Kurti, who said that Kosovo could face war in the coming years over a border demarcation treaty with neighboring Montenegro. MIA correspondent reports that Kurti, who leads the Self-Determination protest movement, made the statement for an Albanian newspaper, saying that the war could come in four to five years.

"This is a ridiculous, absurd, dangerous and unacceptable statement. The wars for Kosovo ended with our declaration of independence. After Kosovo was declared an independent and sovereign state, peace, stability and cooperation were reinforced in the Western Balkans. The freedom and independence of Kosovo put an end to the bloody wars of the past", President Thaci said. He is struggling to push the demarcation treaty through Parliament, facing opposition from rival former guerrilla commander turned politician Ramush Haradinaj, and from Kurti's party whose members have frequently set off tear gas in the Parliament to stop the voting.

After realizing that the Thaci led coalition does not have enough votes in Parliament to pass the treaty, the proposal was withdrawn. US and EU have urged Kosovan parties to approve the treaty as soon as possible, given that it might affect Montenegro's ongoing process of NATO membership.

Kurti ridiculed Thaci, calling him an ignoramus on his Facebook profile. Kurti claims that the treaty cedes 8.200 hectares of mountainous land to Montenegro.