With a lack of success in foreign affairs, Kosovo’s political opposition has outlined different foreign policy commitments ahead of parliamentary elections, from fulfilling obligations in the dialogue with Serbia to renegotiating agreements and repairing relationships with strategic allies.
Kosovo’s opposition parties have pledged to engage special envoys in a quest to increase the number of recognising states, implement comprehensive reforms in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and fulfill Kosovo’s obligations in the dialogue with Serbia.
The Democratic Party of Kosovo, PDK, Democratic League of Kosovo, LDK, and the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, AAK, have separately shared their foreign policy plans during the pre-election debates at ‘Debat Pernime.’
The ruling Vetëvendosje Movement refused to participate in debates on foreign policy moderated by BIRN and Internews Kosova. This decision was strongly condemned by 20 non-governmental organisations ahead of the 2025 parliamentary elections.
Vetëvendosje ruling party justified its boycott by claiming that the media platform hosting the debates, TV Dukagjini, is owned by oligarchs.
AAK-NISMA Coalition
The engagement of 10 special envoys for recognition, comprehensive reforms in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the fulfillment of Kosovo’s obligations in the dialogue with Serbia in Brussels are among the foreign policy commitments of the AAK-Nisma Coalition.
The AAK-Nisma coalition considers NATO membership a core mission of their electoral campaign.
Haki Abazi, a parliamentary MP, expressed concern about Kosovo’s current state in international relations.
Abazi claims that decisions made under Minister Donika Gërvalla-Schwarz’s leadership were politically driven, removing professionals and resulting in no new recognitions or progress in Kosovo’s membership in international institutions like UNESCO and INTERPOL.
“They eliminated all professionals, and as a result, there has been no recognition, no progress in membership in international mechanisms,” he said.
Abazi highlighted the need for 10 special envoys to engage in securing recognition for Kosovo, with a focus on EU countries and continents where Kosovo remains unrecognised.
“We plan to have 10 special envoys for recognition—one for EU countries and others for continents where Kosovo is still not recognized,” Abazi added further.
As Kosovo moves toward new elections, it has also failed to secure new recognitions, including from five EU member states: Greece, Romania, Spain, Slovakia, and Cyprus—four of which are also NATO members.
Abazi expressed concern about a complete vacuum in Kosovo’s relationship with the United States.
“We’ve wasted four years of cooperation with the Biden administration, which is a Democratic administration, and we can only imagine how the relationship would be if the same structure continues to lead Kosovo under a Trump administration,” Abazi stated.
The Kosovo-Serbia dialogue remains one of the hottest political issues in Kosovo. Abazi reaffirmed that Kosovo must fulfill its obligations in this process, without violating the Constitution or territorial integrity.
“All the obligations Kosovo has undertaken must be implemented, as they are tripartite agreements involving Kosovo, the EU, and the US,” he said.
Abazi also mentioned that the Statute of the Association of Serbian Majority Municipalities, ASMM, should be quickly sent to the Constitutional Court for review, “to remove the trap for Kosovo and open the door to negotiations with the four NATO countries that have not recognised Kosovo.”
Fatmir Matoshi, another parliamentary candidate, criticised the Vetëvendosje-led government, for making a mockery of the dialogue process.
“The use of the dialogue for political gain and populism has undoubtedly brought Kosovo into this situation,” Matoshi said.
Kosovo and Serbia have been engaged in EU-mediated talks to normalise their relations since 2011, initially addressing technical issues and later transitioning to political matters.
Matoshi also commented on the EU sanctions against Kosovo, calling them unfair but acknowledging that the reasons behind them are the “direct responsibility of the government.”
He emphasised that “responsibility must be sought from the Kosovo government, as Kosovo has never faced such measures before.”
These sanctions were implemented in response to escalating security issues in northern Kosovo in 2023 when newly elected Albanian mayors began working in northern municipalities after a boycott by local Serbs.
One of the EU measures includes the temporary suspension of the Stabilization Association Agreement’s bodies.
Democratic League of Kosovo
The Democratic League of Kosovo, LDK, has outlined key foreign policy plans, including the implementation of the Washington Agreement rather than the Ohrid Agreement, the establishment of a Diaspora Agency, and the reinstatement of the Ministry of European Integration.
MP candidate Lutfi Haziri criticised the Ohrid Agreement, calling it “the greatest turning point for the Dialogue in the last four years.”
He emphasised that no agreement is valid or implementable until a comprehensive agreement is reached, which he believes has not yet happened.
Haziri stressed that negotiations should continue in neutral locations, with the EU as the mediator under the UN mandate and the US as the guarantor with an enhanced role.
“We are not negotiating with Serbia; Kosovo is in discussions with the EU and the US,” Haziri stated, adding that the US is on Kosovo’s side, facilitating the process.
He also accused Prime Minister Kurti of leaving Kosovo with “ticking bombs” in foreign policy, particularly in the dialogue process.
On March 18, 2023, Kosovo and Serbia agreed on the Implementation Annex of the Agreement toward normalisation, signed in Brussels on February 27, 2023. While the agreement was not signed, both the EU and the US declared it a binding agreement for both parties.
In September 2020, former Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic reached an economic normalisation agreement at the White House, with then-President Donald Trump present. Haziri mentioned that the agreement is being reactivated with Donald Trump’s return to leadership in the US.
Haziri emphasised that the second step is coordinating with the EU, which is crucial for implementing the agreement. “There will be coordination between the US and the EU regarding this issue,” he added.
Parliamentary MP Jehona Lushaku-Sadriu stressed the importance of respecting all international agreements signed by Kosovo.
“We must extract the best from this agreement and absolutely support the implementation of every point that benefits Kosovo and aligns with the Constitution of Kosovo,” she added.
The LDK aims to reinstate the Ministry of European Integration if it returns to power.
“Our priority will be to establish the Ministry of European Integration to ensure a structured and organised process for meeting the criteria for EU membership,” said Lushaku-Sadriu.
She blamed the Kurti government for “damaging and stagnating” Kosovo’s integration processes, particularly the formal process of Kosovo’s EU membership and lack of coordination that led to sanctions being imposed on the country.
In June 2024, EU Foreign Minister Josep Borrell submitted a report to EU member states regarding the sanctions against Kosovo, assessing whether the sanctions should be lifted, which were imposed due to rising tensions in northern Kosovo in May and June 2023, but there was no common agreeing on the issue.
The LDK program also includes the creation of the Diaspora Agency, which would operate directly under the Prime Minister’s supervision.
Armend Zema, another MP candidate, emphasised the importance of this project, explaining that the Agency’s main goal would be “the integration of the diaspora, strengthening ties with Kosovo, promoting investments, and encouraging the return of skilled professionals.”
Democratic Party of Kosovo
The Democratic Party of Kosovo, PDK, has outlined key promises for its foreign policy, including renegotiating the Ohrid Agreement, strengthening relations with allies, increasing recognition from other states, and advocating for Kosovo’s membership in international organisations.
The PDK’s stance is to ensure that no draft for the Association of Serb-Majority Municipalities is accepted unless it aligns with Kosovo’s Constitution.
MP candidate Ariana Musliu-Shoshi emphasised that one of the greatest damages to Kosovo in the context of the dialogue with Serbia was the Ohrid Agreement and seeks to “renegotiate it.”
“Ohrid Agreement jeopardized Kosovo’s national interest, particularly with references to ‘Resolution 1244,’ and mutual recognition is not included in any article,” she said.
She also stressed that some aspects of the agreement, such as “self-management and self-financing” regarding the Association of Serb-Majority Municipalities, are unacceptable for the PDK, including the provision for an Arbitration Court.
Regarding the Association of Serb-Majority Municipalities, Musliu-Shoshi stated that the Association “is not acceptable if it holds executive powers, as it would be detrimental to Kosovo.”
Musliu-Shoshi also addressed the Washington Agreement, noting that the PDK has discussed it and affirmed that “agreements from the US have never harmed the Republic of Kosovo.”
She emphasised that this agreement is not one that automatically requires implementation with the new government, explaining that with President Donald Trump’s administration, US foreign policy priorities have shifted, and “policies in the region and beyond have changed.”
In the 2020 Washington Agreement, Kosovo secured recognition from Israel in exchange for halting its lobbying for membership in international organisations and new recognition for a period of one year.
Blerta Deliu-Kodra, another PDK MP candidate, has expressed concerns about Kosovo’s relations with international allies.
She emphasised that “recent international reports have shown a significant decline in Kosovo’s rankings, including in Transparency International.”
Deliu also pointed out that Kosovo has not had any significant visits to the White House during the mandate of Prime Minister Albin Kurti, as visits and exchanges with key U.S. institutions are rare, “undermining the possibility of coordinating our Euro-Atlantic future.'”