Ramush Haradinaj, the leader of the Alliance for Kosovo (ABK) and a candidate for Kosovo's president, accused on Monday the European Union with neglecting Pristina and pushing it to unite with neighbouring Albania.

During the presentation of his party’s programme ahead of early parliamentary elections on February 14, Haradinaj seriously criticised the EU, adding it was unknown what would happen in four, five years if Kosovo did not see any progress.

„If Kosovo is not close to NATO, if there is no visa regime liberation with the EU, if there is no recognition (of Kosovo’s independence) by five EU member states, if we are not knocking at the UN doors, what’s next? Shall we accept what they are trying to tell us – Kosovo is tired, weak?“ he asked.

Haradinaj also asked if Kosovo should accept a frozen conflict with Serbia, and added Pristina could not wait until others were ready to close many open issues.

„Kosovo has to decide what’s next, not to listen to – wait to see what’s going to be with you. We won’t accept the frozen conflict; to be divided, but we’ll hold a referendum on unification with Albania. Remember that. Not because we want that. But (because) we have been telling the West for the last 20 years that we favour a Euro-Atlantic Kosovo, a part of the EU, NATO, and a UN member state,“ he said.

If the EU wanted, it could have persuaded the five bloc’s member states to recognise Kosovo as an independent state, instead of leaving Kosovo’s people „isolated, telling them occasionally – you are to blame for this and that,“ Haradinaj said.

„Is Serbia or any other neighbouring country perfect? We cannot wait for someone to be in a good mood to solve the Kosovo issue,“ he warned.