Pristina, December 9, 2024
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, welcomed the Member of the European Parliament from Estonia, Riho Terras, who is making his first visit to Kosovo after taking on the role of rapporteur for Kosovo in the European Parliament.
Prime Minister Kurti thanked the European Parliament for its continuous support for Kosovo on its path towards European integration and significant institutional reforms. He stated that the Republic of Kosovo is a very good example that economic development and democratic progress can go hand in hand. He also emphasized the Government’s commitment to implementing the Growth Plan, which is the main tool for economic growth and accelerating the EU integration process.
Within the framework of the Growth Plan, Kosovo demonstrated its institutional preparedness, while in the implementation of the ERA II reform agenda, an implementation rate of 72% was achieved compared to 45% in previous administrations. Meanwhile, in the National Program for European Integration (NPEI), the implementation level in 2023 reached 66.12%.
This meeting also addressed the recent terrorist attack on the Ibër-Lepenc canal that took place on November 29. It was the third attack in three days targeting the country’s institutions. Initially, the targets were the Police Station in Zvečan and the building of the Zvečan Municipal Assembly. Furthermore, it constitutes the second large-scale attack on national security, following the paramilitary attack on September 24, 2023, in Banjska, which aimed at annexing the northern part of the country and resulted in the death of a Kosovo Police sergeant, and the largest and most serious attack on critical infrastructure, which aimed at disrupting or complicating essential services such as electricity, water, and telecommunications, and disrupting social, civil, economic life, and institutions. The approach, target, and execution of the attack, combined with the confiscation of weaponry, uniforms, and army insignias, most of which are from Serbia and 20 others from Russia, suggest the involvement of external actors, as investigations continue.
Subsequently, the Prime Minister called for the removal of the EU’s measures against Kosovo and emphasized the importance of accepting the questionnaire and candidate country status for EU membership as soon as possible. The Prime Minister thanked the rapporteur Terras for the visit and constructive discussion. Meanwhile, he thanked the prime minister for the hospitality and willingness to cooperate with the European Parliament.
Last modified: December 11, 2024