Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti told the media on Friday that he has not yet read a report authored by the US Department Energy on water resources at Lake Ujmani, which was published earlier this week.

“I have not read the report yet,” Kurti said. “We have teams that handle this. When we have dealt with it, then you will receive an answer.”

The US Embassy in Prishtina tweeted on Wednesday that the report had been delivered to the Serbian and Kosovo governments, adding that its completion represented the fulfillment of “one of the September 4 Washington commitments.” 

Two sets of ‘economic normalisation’ agreements were signed in September 2020 by both Serbia and Kosovo, then represented by former prime minister Avdullah Hoti, under the auspices of former US President Donald Trump. 

One of the pledges stated that “both parties will agree to work with the US Department of Energy on a feasibility study for the purpose of sharing Gazivode/Ujmani Lake as a reliable water and energy supply.”

Kurti and his party, Vetevendosje, were outspoken critics of the agreements reached in DC, and particularly the point relating to Lake Ujmani. 

“Lake Ujmani is Kosovo’s most important water source, and is wholly owned by the Republic of Kosovo,” the party stated the day the Washington Agreements were reached. “Recognition of Serbia’s right to Lake Ujmani makes this agreement unacceptable to Kosovo.”

Later that week, Kurti insisted that the party was “not bound by the commitments of Kosovo’s illegitimate PM when we return to office.”

On Thursday, Hoti defended the pledge during a parliamentary session of the Kosovo Assembly, requesting an apology from Kurti.

“Yesterday the Government accepted the feasibility study for Ujmani,” Hoti said. “It was absurd to state that this Agreement violates Kosovo’s independence. Now I want to ask the Government: does the feasibility study for Lake Ujman violate sovereignty? It would be wise to apologise.”

The US Department of Energy’s report on water resource opportunities provides four recommendations, including upgrading infrastructure, establishing a commission for the Ibar River, which feeds into the lake, and exploring the use of European Commission forecasts to improve operational efficiency.