French ambassador: Dialogue with Belgrade essential for regional stability and Kosovo’s European trajectory

The Ambassador of France to Kosovo, Jean-François Huchet, has said that the enlargement of the European Union has returned to the centre of Europe’s strategic agenda and has become a geopolitical necessity.

Speaking in Pristina at the discussion “Attitudes of European capitals towards enlargement: perspectives, priorities and Kosovo’s road to the EU”, Huchet said that for years enlargement has been treated mainly as a technical issue, while Russia’s war in Ukraine has changed the approach to this process.

According to him, the European project is first and foremost a project of peace, security and stability on the continent.

“Enlargement has become a geopolitical necessity, a way of bringing the Western Balkans strongly inside Europe,” Huchet said.

He stressed that France supports an enlargement process based on merit, underlining that in parallel the European Union itself, its institutions, policies and budget must also prepare for a wider membership.

Speaking about Kosovo, the French ambassador said that its European path must be discussed also in Kosovo itself, and not only in European capitals.

“Kosovo has taken important steps, it has applied for membership, the citizens have received visa-free travel in the Schengen zone, a very concrete European achievement,” he said.

However, Huchet assessed that the road ahead requires sustainable reforms in the rule of law, the strengthening of institutions and continuous engagement in the dialogue with Belgrade.

He said that the dialogue with Belgrade remains essential for regional stability and for Kosovo’s European trajectory.

“France stands ready to accompany this process as a partner and as a friend of Kosovo,” Huchet said, also mentioning the recent visit to Pristina of the French minister Benjamin Haddad.

The French ambassador also spoke about the importance of energy security, saying that it is now inseparable from the EU enlargement process.

According to him, issues such as the security of energy supply, decarbonisation, modernisation and integration into European markets require regional cooperation, integrated markets, infrastructure and investment.

Huchet stressed that these issues cannot be solved by a single country alone, but require a common European and regional approach. /RTK