Kosovo Premier Ramush Haradinaj said in an interview with Syri TV that he stands firm in his accusations against Albanian Premier Edi Rama which caused the later to file a defamation lawsuit against him. Haradinaj told host Çim Peka he had expected the lawsuit, saying that had exceeded his expectations.

“This is further from what I had thought things could go, it has exceeded my expectations”, Haradinaj said, adding that he has been sparing Rama for the sake of the nation even though he had other evidence over Rama’s plans for the division of Kosovo.

“I’m not holding back for Mr. Rama’s sake, I’m holding back for the sake of our compatriots. Rama’s commitment for the division of Kosovo is non-understandable. He has supported it continuously till his foreign minister abandoned this topic and left. It’s a very harmful act for Kosovo. I was forced to go against him. I was surprised by his approach, with the mobilization of resources around him, from the media to the lobbying abroad. With the planned division we lose (the rich mining area of) Trepça, worth €10 billion. Trepça is the epicenter of Kosovo’s division. We would lose €10 billion, without counting here the employment and other benefits”.

Asked about Rama’s lawsuit, Haradinaj said it does not bother him, because he knows who Rama is.

“I know who pushed him to file the lawsuit, I stand firm in what I said and there is more”.