PRISTINA – The European Union lifted all punitive measures imposed on Kosovo in June 2023, the European Commission confirmed. During yesterday’s debate on the Draft Report on Kosovo at the meeting of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the European Parliament (AFET), Jiri Plecity, a representative of the EC, confirmed the abolishment of these measures.
“I can confirm that the European Commission has released all financial assistance that was previously under measures, and we are also planning to fully re-engage with our counterparts in Kosovo in order to put Kosovo back on track on its EU agenda”, Plecity remarked.
The measures against Kosovo were imposed in 2023 and involved the suspension of funding and bilateral meetings between European officials and representatives of the Kosovo Government, Reporteri.net reminds. The measures were imposed in response to tensions in northern Kosovo, after the Albanian mayors of four municipalities in the north took office.
The Kosovo government welcomed the European Union’s decision to completely lift punitive measures against Kosovo, stressing that they were imposed unfairly.
“We welcome today’s confirmation by the European Commission in the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee: all EU measures against Kosovo have been lifted, and all previously suspended financial assistance has been released. We expect this to open a new phase of constructive engagement and concrete progress on our path towards the EU”, Kosovo’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Glauk Konjufca, stated on X.
President of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani thanked “the Commission and all our partners from the member states for their support in bringing this matter to a close, which resulted in lifting the unjust measures that negatively affected the lives of the people of Kosovo”.
“Kosovo remains committed to working closely with the EU and moving forward on our path toward EU candidate status”, Osmani said.
