Former Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi used an interview from The Hague to deliver a clear political and personal message: thanks to Edi Rama and a public call for an impartial ruling from the Special Court. In the same appearance, he also commented on the NATO summit expected to be held in Tirana, presenting it as a significant moment for Albania and calling for space for Kosovo’s inclusion as well.
Message from The Hague: thanks to Rama, awaiting the judgment
In the interview given from The Hague, Thaçi said he expects a judgment that is “fair, impartial and uninfluenced by anyone,” placing the emphasis on the judges’ decision-making and on the expectation of a process free from political influence.
He also spoke about his relationship with Prime Minister Edi Rama, saying Rama has visited him several times and that he is “grateful from the heart” to him. Along the same lines, he also praised the reforms undertaken in Albania, from his point of view.
The NATO summit in Tirana and expectations for Kosovo
Thaçi called the organization of the NATO summit in Tirana a high point in Albania’s political history, reading it as a sign of Western allies’ trust in the country’s Euro-Atlantic course.
He also raised the issue of Kosovo’s representation, after the failure to secure a presence at the Ankara summit. According to him, Rama could seek a legal avenue for Kosovo’s participation on the margins of the summit in Tirana, although he acknowledged that this may be more difficult than in previous cases.
Defense of the decision on the Special Court
Asked about the creation of the Special Court, Thaçi gave his version that Kosovo at the time was “between two fires”: either to establish the court in coordination with international partners, or face the possibility of its creation by the UN Security Council.
According to him, “the lesser evil” was chosen, with the argument that this avoided the involvement of Russia and China in the process. He added that he does not wish to speak at greater length about the full circumstances of the court’s formation and the developments that followed.
Personal cost and political statements
Thaçi said he had been committed to ensuring that “nothing bad” would happen to Kosovo and that now, according to him, he is paying the price “in his own skin.” This was another effort to present his case not only as a personal battle, but also as part of a broader political debate in Kosovo.
In the same interview, he used strongly appreciative language for Rama and for Albania’s European direction, linking it as well to the organization of the NATO summit in Tirana. These remain Thaçi’s own political positions, expressed while judicial proceedings against him continue in The Hague.
Thaçi’s statements come at a time when the issue of the Special Court remains sensitive in Kosovo, while the NATO summit in Tirana is also being used as ground for political messages that go beyond the diplomatic ceremony.
Between his thanks to Rama and his call for an uninfluenced ruling, the former Kosovo president appears to be trying to keep open at the same time both his personal front in court and his political one in relation to Tirana and Pristina.