Tirana, 21 November 2025
The acting Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, participated today in the European Union Growth Plan Summit, which was held in the capital of Albania, Tirana, and was attended by the leaders of the Western Balkans and the European Union Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos, and the Director-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations, Gert Jan Koopman.
Full speech of Prime Minister Kurti:
Dear Prime Minister Rama,
Dear Commissioner Kos,
Dear colleagues from the region and representatives of regional organizations,
I want to begin by congratulating Albania on the advancement towards the EU with the opening of the last cluster, marking the opening of all 33 chapters. This is an important milestone.
Since our last meeting in North Macedonia in July this year, the Berlin Process Summit in London took place, where we endorsed new deliverables and adopted a revised Green Agenda for the Western Balkans.
Last month, the World Justice Project published its Rule of Law Index, which ranked Kosova 3rd among 15 countries of Eastern Europe and Central Asia, and 2nd among the six Western Balkans (WB6) for improvement in rule of law.
We rank safest country in the region, with the lowest criminality and great progress in fighting corruption. We recorded the strongest economic growth and after our meeting in July in North Macedonia, both the World Bank and IMF removed Kosova from their Fragile and Conflict-Affected lists.
This internationally verified and evidence-based progress stands in stark contrast with the EU’s policy of restrictive measures and the lack of progress in granting Kosova its well-deserved candidate status. EU measures taken against our democratic Republic in the Western Balkans are a disservice to full alignment with EU’s CFSP.
This is the last time I will address the EU restrictive measures. They must be removed fully and completely, just as former EU HR/VP Josep Borrell requested last year.
Also, no country in our region has been more prepared at the moment of seeking candidate status than Kosova is today. To speak of urgency in enlargement on one hand while letting Kosova’s application gather dust for three years on an EU shelf is, at the very least, a paradox.
I believe is important to speak plainly as we are gathered to take stock of the Growth Plan progress. We were the first to deliver on the Reform Agenda and somehow, we are now behind in implementing it. And I have welcomed the critique. We should be in the front of these reforms.
But we are behind not by choice but by circumstances. The delays in forming the new government after the February elections this year caused setbacks, yet it was an exercise of democracy, where MPs expressed their free will, where procedures were respected, and disputes resolved in court.
We are now heading toward the third election in one year, which, as the previous two have shown—will be free, fair, and competitive, demonstrating the resilience of our democracy and the strength of our institutions. I am confident that this election will result in a new government that will move quickly in implementing the Reform Agenda of the Growth Plan.
We welcome the new initiatives. We also understand that our individual advancement toward joining the EU single market is closely tied to our collective advancement in regional mobility and trade, or, as the Commission would say, Pillar One is linked with Pillar Two of the Growth Plan.
- We see no obstacles on the Roaming Roadmap.
- At the last summit in Skopje/Shkup, we identified three sectors for nearshoring as part of the Single Market Highway initiative: on 1) ICT, 2) Defense 3) Agriculture.
- The AI economic transformation has begun, and we must ensure it is inclusive, ethical, and democratic. We lead in digitalization and have high bandwidth penetration. We also have the lowest price of electricity in the region. These elements: connectivity, affordability, and digital readiness – form the infrastructure of the future, making us a strong potential hub for EU AI Factories.
- For our next term, we plan to mobilize at least one billion euros per year in capital investments for strategic projects. We have an increasingly robust economic climate. We rank 26th globally and first in the Western Balkans, according to Henley & Partners’ Global Investment Risk and Resilience Index. Inspired by the positive reception of the investment conferences in Tirana and Podgorica, we look forward to the opportunity to bring a forum to Prishtina.
Lastly, advancing economic integration requires infrastructure at its core. An update of the Trans-European Network is essential to ensure that regional corridors operate with maximum efficiency. Kosova’s position is uniquely significant. We have the potential to serve as the fastest route within the region and from the region to the EU. In this context, the Prishtinë–Durrës railway deserves particular attention. As a connection between corridors 8 and 10 of the TEN-T European networks, would serve connectivity and the European transport architecture.
On the progress of Growth Plan and our joint commitments:
- On Green Lanes – we welcome the inclusion of the two busiest customs points “Hani i Elezit – Bllacë” as part of the Green Lanes initiative and Vermicë/Morinë with Albania as part of the intra-CEFTA initiative. Modernization of these two border crossings will further improve trade.
- On SEPA – we have submitted all necessary laws as technical criteria for our application a year ago, but they remain under review in our Constitutional Court. Kosova meets all conditions to join SEPA, and we would welcome the EU’s review so we can proceed swiftly once the court completes its process.
- On the WIFI initiative – Almost all municipalities—33 out of 38—have been selected for the WIFI4WB initiative, installations are expected to begin in December, while the setup of all hotspots is planned to be completed by February.
- On the Digital Wallet – we have launched the first pilot for our national electronic identification system, Kosova e-wallet, modeled after the EU’s Digital Identity Wallet. It offers electronic authentication, signatures, seals, and a digital wallet.
- On the Agreement on Conformity Assessment Acceptance – products accredited and marked in accordance with EU regulation should be accepted within the WB6.
The fiches of Pillar One offer membership and collaboration with EU agencies and other bodies related to tourism, medical alliance, Single Market Highway, ACAA, and consumer protection.
Equal access and symmetrical partnership with these mechanisms are essential for all WB6 members to yeld the benefits of CRM and the EU single market. In this regard, we face structural obstacles in joining these agencies and bodies. An important one being the Common Transit Convention (CTC). We applied for membership in CTC in 2015. More then a decade of waiting without a decision for our application reflects a slow pace of decision-making.
On Pillar Two (CRM):
We have signed five mobility agreements, yet, after three years, they remain unimplemented. Since blockades emerged on the implementation of the Agreement on Higher Education Institutions (HEI), I tasked my SHERPA to actively pursue a solution. It is regrettable that our efforts and willingness have not been matched by the other party. The status quo on this matter cannot stand. This agreement, together with the Agreement on Access to Study and the decision on work permits and CEFTA Decision on Recognition of Professional Qualification, is crucial for the mobility of students and workers, without which we cannot achieve a common regional market.
I welcome the Commission’s recent engagement on this matter and encourage you to work with SHERPAs in resolving outstanding issues regarding the implementation of the Common Regional Market deliverables.
In our first direct chairing of CEFTA, we are demonstrating leadership and delivering benefits for all CEFTA countries. We elected a CEFTA Director after a two-year deadlock that put a €7 million EU grant at risk. We have adopted decisions to deepen trade, and we expect major decisions, such as Recognition of Trust Services, on Recognition of Professional Qualification and the Risk Management Strategy, to be approved this December in Prishtina during the CEFTA Week.
Lastly, while I always enjoy being in Tirana, I will welcome it if the next summit takes place in Prishtina.
Thank you.
