Alain Berset receives Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti

The Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti paid a courtesy visit to Alain Berset, President of the Swiss Confederation, on September 22 according to a press release from the Federal Department of Home Affairs (FDHA). The two top politicians discussed the situation in northern Kosovo in particular. The FDHA explained that Berset stressed Switzerland’s support for the normalization process.

Switzerland is also supporting Kosovo’s attempt to join the Council of Europe. This would give all of the country’s inhabitants to access the European Court of Human Rights regardless of their nationality. Berset and Kurti further discussed the bilateral economic relations between the two countries. Berset states that tensions between Serbia and Kosovo must eased to exploit the potential here. Specifically, the member of the Federal Council called for the implementation of the agreements negotiated in Brussels and Ohrid in spring. 

According to the FDHA, Kosovo is a priority for Swiss international collaboration. This is also down to the fact that around 115,000 Kosovans live in Switzerland. The number of people with roots in Kosovo living in Switzerland is estimated to be 180,000 according to the press release. Additionally, Switzerland is the second-largest source of direct foreign investment in Kosovo. ce/hs