BELGRADE /PRISTINA – European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos said today in Pristina that a constructive engagement in the dialogue with Serbia is a prerequisite for opening formal EU accession negotiations with Kosovo and advancing its European integration.
“This also means the need to resolve issues related to Serbian institutions in an inclusive manner, in consultation with the Serbian community and within dialogue… In addition to the political part, it is also important to engage with EU member states, because the process of joining the Union has a technical and political dimension”, Kos said.
At a joint press conference with Kosovo’s Acting Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, she stated that there is no security in Europe without Kosovo, because the process of enlargement of the European Union today is not only seen as the expansion of the Union, but it is also about enhancing security.
“When we talk about the role of Kosovo, there can be no security in Europe without Kosovo, Kosovo is an integral part of the wider picture… The more successful Kosovo is in implementing reforms and in dialogue with Belgrade, the greater the chances of opening real negotiations (on EU membership) are”, Kos said.
It was the first visit of Marta Kos to Kosovo, a year and a half since the beginning of her term. The reasons for this lie in political instability and frequent electoral processes in Kosovo, which, made it difficult to organize the high-level visit.
Kos came to Kosovo in the midst of a new election campaign for the snap general election, scheduled for 7 June.
Commenting on the fact that Kosovo is facing new election, Kos assessed that it is necessary to ensure stable institutional functioning and political stability, pointing out that 2026 could be “a year of European possibilities” for Kosovo.
“After the election, political leaders need to form institutions and elect a president of Kosovo in a spirit of compromise… When we talk about the EU enlargement process, from a broader perspective, what we see today in the enlargement process is progress and, for the first time since the last enlargement in 2013, when Croatia became an EU member, there are realistic prospects that we will get new member states in the coming years”, European Commissioner for Enlargement notes.
Kos also referred to the EU’s Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, clarifying that Kosovo and others in the region will only receive these funds if they implement reforms.
“These funds are not only important for the government, but primarily for citizens – to advance the rule of law, modernize public administration, improve education, establish more favorable business environment, and accelerate the digital and green transition”, Kos remarked.
During her visit to Kosovo, Marta Kos also met Acting President of Kosovo, Albulena Haxhiu.
Acting Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti said at a press conference with Marta Kos that establishing unity within the EU for decision-making regarding Kosovo is a common task. He recalled that more than 40 months have passed since Kosovo applied for EU candidate status.
Kurti said that he had told Kosovo that Bosnia and Herzegovina did not abolish visas for Kosovo and that Serbia was blocking the agreement on the recognition of diplomas.
He also referred to the armed incident in Banjska, which he called a “terrorist attack”, as well as the attack on the “Ibar-Lepenac” channel, claiming that Serbia must be held accountable for them.
