On the Issues Episode 119: Edita Tahiri
Today’s guest is Edita Tahiri, former Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Chief Negotiator of Kosovo. She is a key founder and leader of the movement for Kosovo’s independence, and as Chief Negotiator of Kosovo, she is the signatory of the first-ever agreement reached between Kosovo and Serbia, after 20 years of peace talks.
In this episode, Alon and Edita discuss the recent election in Kosovo, what the possibilities are for forming a new government, the current status of talks between Kosovo and Serbia, and what effect the new US administration may have on the peace process.
Full Bio
Edita Tahiri is former Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Dialogue, Minister of Public Administration, Peace Negotiator and Member of Parliament for five terms. She is a key founder and leader of the movement for independence of Kosovo and was Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kosovo for ten years in hard times of liberation of her country (1990-2000). She is the President of reformist party Democratic Alternative of Kosovo (ADK).
She is a leader of independence of Kosova and has a long standing career as a leader, politician, diplomat and peace negotiator. She was one of the founders and key leaders of the movement for Kosovo’s independence, the Democratic League of Kosovo, in the years 1991-1999. She is known as one of key protagonists of political changes in Kosovo and the Balkans since the end of the Cold War.
She is a distinguished peace negotiator and chief negotiator in times of war and peace for Kosovo and the Balkan region with about 30 years’ experience. She is recognized as the only woman peace negotiator in the Balkans participating in the international peace processes such as the Rambouillet International Peace Conference on Kosovo (1999), Pre-Rambouillet Peace Negotiation (1998), London Conference on Disintegration of Former Yugoslavia (1992) and Chief Negotiator of Kosovo at the EU facilitated Dialogue on normalization of neighborly relations between Kosovo and Serbia (2011-2017). As the Chief Negotiator of Kosovo in the EU mediated peace talks with Serbia, she is the signatory of the first ever-reached agreement between Kosovo and Serbia, after 20 years of peace talks.
Dedicated to empowerment of women and WPS agenda, she serves as the Chair of the Regional Women’s Lobby in South East Europe for over 12 years. She was participant at the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995. She is a member of the Women Waging Peace Network and the Mediterranean Network of Women Mediators
She graduated from Harvard University and holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the John F. Kennedy School of Government in 2002. She also graduated from the Edward S. Mason Program for Public Policy and Management, 2002. She holds a doctoral degree in political sciences from Prishtina University in cooperation with Johns Hopkins University –SAIS, in 2011. She was a Fulbright Scholar in 2006/2007 at the Johns Hopkins University – SAIS at the Program for Conflict Resolution. For her academic achievements, she was awarded the title “Outstanding student of 2002” by the John Kennedy School of Government Public Service Fellowship and an “Edward S. Mason Appreciation for an Extraordinary Contribution.”
She has a long-standing experience in foreign policy and security, international relations, conflict resolution, international peace negotiations, post-conflict transitions, peacebuilding, women’s empowerment and WPS agenda. Her geographical expertise covers: Kosovo, Balkans, Europe, Myanmar, Philippines, Nepal, Middle East and North Africa. She has numerous publications as author and coauthor and has been participant and lecturer in numerous international conferences and universities, and appeared with interviews in world news including CNN, BBC, DW, etc. She is fluent in Albanian (mother tongue), English, Croatian, Serbian and Turkish.