Athens, 15 March 2024
On the second day of his stay in Athens, the first deputy prime minister for European Integration, Development and Dialogue of the Republic of Kosovo, Besnik Bislimi, participated in the discussion panel “Western Balkans and EU Enlargement 2030 – Dream or Reality?”, together with counterparts from the region as well as representatives from Slovenia, the Secretary of State for European Affairs, Marko Stucin and the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greece, Alexandra Papadopolou.
In his speech, while underlining the geostrategic importance of the Western Balkans region as well as the importance of expansion, he said that with the visa liberalization process already completed and achieved, Kosovo continues to work on other equally important trajectories for the country and especially the path to the European Union. He added that the Republic of Kosovo has shown prudence and preparation in this process, analyzing the sectors and areas through which we prove that we are ready, we have advanced and marked rapid progress and deserve concrete steps forward.
Then, when asked how realistic the possibility of EU membership is until 2030, the deputy prime minister emphasized that there should be a standardized assessment process for the entire region, regarding the implementation of reforms and the way forward towards the EU. Emphasizing that in the case of Kosovo, the challenges that appear are more external than originating from within the country, he underlined that our country continues to remain committed to the implementation of reforms and the achievement of European standards.
This event was organized by Eliamep, in cooperation with the Strategic Forum of Bled. After the discussion panel, a reception was organized on the sidelines of the event, where at the invitation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greece, Georgios Gerapetritis, Deputy Prime Minister Bislimi participated together with other personalities from the event and the panel.
Last modified: March 18, 2024