Suspending US-Kosovo dialogue - a rude awakening for Kurti

The new prime minister must work closely with the US and the EU in several ways. He or she must:

• Improve communication and sharing of views with the EU and the US to build trust and a constructive long-term relationship to advance Kosovo's aspiration for EU membership;
• Appoint a dedicated envoy to lead the dialogue with Serbia to demonstrate that he is serious about engaging in a constructive way to reach an agreement and curtail anti-Serbian rhetoric;
• Recommit to the previous agreements achieved in the earlier dialogue process, especially the Municipalities Association;
• Implement small, tangible, confidence-building measures with the Serb-majority municipalities to show goodwill and responsiveness, including holding new municipal elections, hosting joint cultural events, providing better Serbian-language services in local government, and holding regular joint meetings with Serb municipal leaders;
• Initiate socio-economic reform, weed out corruption, and engage the opposition parties to engender public consensus and support.

Kosovo's political leaders of all ideological persuasions must remember that for Kosovo to succeed and thrive, it must work closely with the US and the EU while focusing on domestic developments on all fronts.

Kosovo does not need an ideological nationalist but a visionary and courageous leader, a statesman who can answer the public's yearning for security, political stability, and growth.