Rute: NATO will work with whoever leads Kosovo

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on Wednesday that he expects a stable government to be formed in Kosovo as soon as possible, while expressing his willingness to work with whoever will lead the country in the future.

He made these comments during a press conference in Brussels, ahead of a meeting of defense ministers of NATO member countries.

"Based on the preliminary results so far, it looks like there will be a coalition government. Of course, we will work with whoever will lead the country. And of course we wish all politicians all the best in managing the political space and ensuring that there is a stable government as soon as possible," said Rute.

The European Union said it awaits the formation of Kosovo's institutions with the aim of supporting them in the integration processes, but reiterated that Kosovo's progress on this path is directly linked to the normalization of its relations with Serbia.

"Kosovo is expected to implement its obligations arising from the Normalization Roadmap Agreement, as well as all past Dialogue agreements without further delays or preconditions. There is no alternative to the European Union-facilitated Dialogue," said a joint statement by Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas and European Union Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos.

The statement calls on the authorities in Kosovo to engage in responsible regional cooperation and to increase their efforts to strengthen the rule of law and public administration, as well as to protect freedom of expression.

The results of Sunday's election will determine who will lead Kosovo in long-stalled talks to normalize relations with Serbia. The United States and the European Union have urged both sides to implement an agreement reached nearly two years ago under which Kosovo should establish an Association of Serb-majority Municipalities, while Belgrade should recognize Kosovo's 'de facto' independence.

The Central Election Commission is still continuing to count the votes, but according to experts, no substantial changes are expected in the preliminary result, which imposes coalition negotiations since none of the main Albanian parties is able to form a government on its own.

So far, the Vetëvendosje movement, which leads with around 40 percent of the votes, has rejected any possibility of cooperation with opposition parties, while Prime Minister Albin Kurti reiterated today his intention to form the new government without them.

Two of the opposition parties, the Democratic Party and the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, have also expressed their opposition to any coalition with the ruling party but are open to negotiations with opposition parties.

Observers express reservations about the stability of a new government composed either of the Vetëvendosje movement with minorities or of opposition parties, emphasizing that any government that does not include at least two of the main Albanian parties would be a fragile government, especially before larger processes that require two-thirds of the votes in parliament, such as the election of a new president next year.