Konjufca: Regional relations must be built on equality and respect for sovereignty

Kosovo’s Deputy Prime Minister, Glauk Konjufca, said that cooperation among the countries of the region should be guided by mutual trust, equality, and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity.

During the High-Level Week of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York, Konjufca said in a post on X that he had attended a joint working lunch of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) and the Central European Initiative (CEI).

He expressed his gratitude to Romania’s Foreign Minister, Oana Țoiu, for organizing the discussion on the prospects for regional cooperation.

Konjufca stressed that, on the third anniversary of the terrorist attack in Banjska, in which Kosovo Police Sergeant Afrim Bunjaku was killed, he had reiterated the need for regional relations to be based on trust, equality, and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity.

According to him, this approach is particularly important at a time when the region and Europe are facing an increase in hybrid threats and geopolitical pressures.

He underscored that, for the Republic of Kosovo, regional cooperation should complement, rather than replace, the shared European aspiration. At the same time, this cooperation should bring concrete benefits by strengthening regional ties, trade, energy, digital cooperation, mobility, and resilience.

Konjufca said that these mechanisms should be assessed based on the impact they have and the benefits they bring to citizens.

He added that young people are seeking opportunities, freedom of movement, and well-being, while the task of institutions is to create these opportunities within the region.