Kosovo President Hashim Thaci refused an invitation to attend a 'Mini Schengen' meeting with the heads of state or government of Serbia, Albania and North Macedonia.

Thaci was invited to the December 21 meeting in the Albanian town of Durres by Prime Minister Edi Rama. The meeting will be attended by Rama, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, and North Macedonia Prime Minister Zoran Zaev. Thaci was invited to an earlier meeting in the North Macedonia resort of Ohrid.  

Thaci wrote in a Facebook post that “regional cooperation initiatives make no sense as long as Serbia denies the crimes it committed against the citizens of Kosovo and does not recognize Kosovo as a state.”

He added that no progress can be made in regional cooperation until Serbia and Bosnia recognize Kosovo.  

The ‘Mini Schengen’ initiative was first mentioned at a meeting between Vucic, Rama and Zaev in Novi Sad. Their second meeting was held in Ohrid.