Serbia should recognise its former southern province Kosovo, which "is a state," Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said Thursday during a visit to Belgrade.
"It is over, Kosovo is a state, it is a state recognised by major world powers," Rama told AFP, adding that "people made their choice".
Kosovo unilaterally declared independence from Serbia in 2008, a decade after the end of the 1998-1999 war, but Belgrade, backed by its traditional ally Russia, has refused to recognise the move.
More than 100 other countries, including the United States and most of European Union 28 member-states.
Two years ago, during the first visit to Belgrade of an Albanian prime minister in 68 years, Rama argued with his Serbian counterpart Aleksandar Vucic over the issue, who accused him at the time of "provoking" and trying to "humiliate Serbia in Belgrade".
In 2014, the "reaction was unbelievable", Rama recalled.
"Today, it is an open debate," he said, admitting however that there were still difficulties. "It is normal, it is a process going against hundreds of years of history," he said.
Since the incident, relations between the two leaders have improved.
Rama said Thursday that it was also thanks to the continuing debate over Kosovo issue that "a good friendship relation was built" between the two.
"For me, Serbia should recognise Kosovo, for its own good. For him (Vucic) this remains a taboo," he insisted.
Earlier on Thursday the two leaders took part in Belgrade Security Forum, speaking about Kosovo and Serb-Albanian relations. They were to meet again on Friday at a Serbian-Albanian business forum in the southern Serbian town of Nis.
Serbia should recognise its former southern province Kosovo, which “is a state,” Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said Thursday during a visit to Belgrade.
“It is over, Kosovo is a state, it is a state recognised by major world powers,” Rama told AFP, adding that “people made their choice”.
Kosovo unilaterally declared independence from Serbia in 2008, a decade after the end of the 1998-1999 war, but Belgrade, backed by its traditional ally Russia, has refused to recognise the move.
More than 100 other countries, including the United States and most of European Union 28 member-states.
Two years ago, during the first visit to Belgrade of an Albanian prime minister in 68 years, Rama argued with his Serbian counterpart Aleksandar Vucic over the issue, who accused him at the time of “provoking” and trying to “humiliate Serbia in Belgrade”.
In 2014, the “reaction was unbelievable”, Rama recalled.
“Today, it is an open debate,” he said, admitting however that there were still difficulties. “It is normal, it is a process going against hundreds of years of history,” he said.
Since the incident, relations between the two leaders have improved.
Rama said Thursday that it was also thanks to the continuing debate over Kosovo issue that “a good friendship relation was built” between the two.
“For me, Serbia should recognise Kosovo, for its own good. For him (Vucic) this remains a taboo,” he insisted.
Earlier on Thursday the two leaders took part in Belgrade Security Forum, speaking about Kosovo and Serb-Albanian relations. They were to meet again on Friday at a Serbian-Albanian business forum in the southern Serbian town of Nis.
