Prishtina, 14 May 2025
The Acting Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, accompanied by the Acting First Deputy Prime Minister, Besnik Bislimi, the Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Donika Gërvalla, and the Ambassador of Kosovo to Belgium, Agron Bajrami, welcomed today at the government building the President of the European Council of the European Union, António Costa, who is visiting Kosovo for the first time.
At the beginning of the meeting, while welcoming President Costa, the Prime Minister said: “Kosovo is European in values, history and culture and we are fully committed to becoming a member state of the European Union.”
Emphasizing the fact that almost two and a half years have passed since the Republic of Kosovo applied for membership in the European Union, the Prime Minister asked President Costa for an active role in sending the questionnaire and granting candidate country status. He also called for the complete and immediate lifting of the EU’s restrictive measures against Kosovo. Among other things, he highlighted that according to international organizations such as Freedom House, Transparency International and the World Justice Project, Kosovo has made the greatest progress in the rule of law, the fight against corruption, order and security, has the fastest growing economy in the region according to the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, and Kosovo is the first to have submitted the Reform Agenda of the EU Growth Plan on time. The Prime Minister emphasized that Kosovo has made progress in completing reforms, as evidenced by the EU Progress Reports for Kosovo.
During the discussion, regional security was also discussed. The Prime Minister said that threats to the region come from Serbia, which is responsible for the paramilitary and terrorist attack in Banjska in September 2023, and its continued ties with the Russian Federation. The Prime Minister demanded that Radoićić be handed over to the Kosovo justice institutions.
At the meeting, the Prime Minister also raised concerns about the violation of the rights of Albanians in Presevo, Medveđa and Bujanovac. Albanians in the Presevo Valley are underrepresented in public institutions, discriminated against in employment and their rights are constantly ignored, he said.
Last modified: May 15, 2025