Kurti asks von der Leyen for support for Kosovo’s EU candidate status

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti has asked the European Union to take concrete steps to advance Kosovo in the European integration process, including granting it candidate country status, as Telegrafi reports.

After meeting European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Kurti said Kosovo meets the criteria for candidate country status and for opening negotiations on EU membership.

“In December it will be four years since Kosovo applied for EU membership. On merit, Kosovo meets the criteria for candidate country status and for opening accession negotiations,” Kurti said.

He asked the Commission President for her support to push the issue forward in EU institutions.

“We count on your support to speak openly about Kosovo’s need to be given candidate status and to call on the Council to request the Commission’s opinion on our application,” Kurti declared.

The prime minister said Kosovo has, in his view, made steady progress since his first meeting with von der Leyen, citing developments in democracy, the fight against corruption, the rule of law and the protection of human rights.

“Since our first meeting, Kosovo has made steady progress. It has seen the fastest growth in democratic indicators in the region this decade,” Kurti said.

Kurti also stressed Kosovo’s alignment with the EU’s foreign and security policy.

“Kosovo is a reliable partner of the EU and we are 100 percent aligned with the EU’s common foreign and security policy, including every sanction against Russia for its aggression against Ukraine,” he said.

According to Kurti, Kosovo is also implementing the reform agenda under the Growth Plan.

“The reform agenda under the Growth Plan is being implemented. Every reform will be fulfilled — I assure you that no European reform will be left behind,” the prime minister said.

Kurti said that during the meeting with von der Leyen he also requested Kosovo’s membership of the Convention on a Common Transit Procedure, to ease the movement of goods between Kosovo and EU countries.

“I requested Kosovo’s membership of the Common Transit Convention, so that goods move faster and at lower cost between Kosovo and the EU,” Kurti said.

He also mentioned the request for Kosovo’s membership of the European standardisation organisations and the European co-operation for Accreditation.

Finally, Kurti said Kosovo has shown it can achieve greater progress if more doors to the European Union are opened to it.

“Kosovo has shown what it can achieve. With more doors open, it can achieve more,” Kurti concluded.