Prishtina, 1 October 2026
Speech by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, at the joint press conference following his meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen:
Good afternoon, everyone, and welcome to this joint press conference with the President of the European Commission, Ms Ursula von der Leyen.
Dear President von der Leyen, welcome to Prishtina.
This is your sixth visit to Prishtina as President of the European Commission. We first met during the pandemic, and since then, you have visited us every year. Despite the crises and challenges, you have never missed a visit. I thank you for the support you have given our country and our citizens.
Since our first meeting, Kosovo has made steady progress, as confirmed by independent assessments.
Over the past decade, Kosovo has recorded one of the fastest improvements in democratic indicators in the region. Independent assessments show that we have succeeded in combating corruption, strengthening the rule of law and democratic institutions, protecting human rights and freedoms, and advancing democracy. While electoral autocracies exist in our region of Southeast Europe, Kosovo is an electoral democracy. Our elections are free, fair and competitive. And yes, they should be held once every four years, not twice a year.
This progress has also made Kosovo one of the safest countries in Europe. Nine out of ten of our citizens feel safe walking alone at night, and the greatest improvements in security and the rule of law have taken place in the north of our country.
Our economy continues to grow at an annual rate of 4 per cent, the highest in the region, while our public debt remains the lowest in Europe. Last year, Kosovo became a donor to the World Bank’s International Development Association, and both the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund removed us from their lists of fragile and conflict-affected states. We have shared this growth with our citizens through child and maternity allowances, higher pensions and a higher minimum wage, measures that were introduced or increased for the first time in this decade.
Kosovo is a reliable partner of the European Union. We are 100 per cent aligned with the European Union’s Common Foreign and Security Policy, including every sanction imposed on Russia for its aggression against Ukraine. We uphold the values enshrined in Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union. Public support for Kosovo’s EU membership remains the highest in the region, second only to Albania.
The Reform Agenda under the Growth Plan is being implemented. Kosovo was among the first countries to submit its Reform Agenda, and although implementation has taken longer than planned, every reform will be completed. Five days ago, the Government approved 10 of the 12 laws due in June and resubmitted them to the Assembly. I am confident that the Assembly will act swiftly and that the citizens of Kosovo will fully benefit from the Growth Plan. I assure you that no European reform will be left behind. What the parliamentary blockade in our country may leave behind, however, is the European funding allocated for these reforms. And that is, of course, regrettable.
Members of the media,
During our meeting, I asked President von der Leyen for Kosovo to accede to the Common Transit Convention, which three of our neighbors have already joined, so that goods can move more quickly and at lower cost between Kosovo and the European Union.
I also called for Kosovo’s integration into European standardization organisations and the European accreditation framework. Today, Kosovo is the only country in the Western Balkans outside the European agreement on mutual recognition of accreditation, even though we already implement European standards, at an additional cost to our businesses. Opening these two doors would turn our alignment with EU rules into real access to the Single Market. Kosovo has shown what it can achieve. With more doors open, it can achieve even more.
In the European Commission’s annual reports, Kosovo has registered no regression in any of the 33 policy areas, with progress ranging from limited to good.
This December will mark four years since Kosovo applied for membership of the European Union. Based on merit, Kosovo meets the criteria for candidate country status and the opening of accession negotiations.
Of course, there are always challenges, and this new world brings new challenges of its own. But our progress is clear.
Madam President, we count on your support in speaking openly about the need to grant Kosovo candidate country status and in calling on the Council to request the Commission’s Opinion on our application.
Regional mobility is also at the heart of the Growth Plan. The Berlin Process agreement on the recognition of diplomas must be implemented, and Bosnia and Herzegovina must ratify the agreement on freedom of movement with identity cards so that students and workers can move freely throughout the region.
Allow me also to address the recent judgment of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers, which our citizens are following very closely.
There are three points in this judgment that deserve to be highlighted internationally. First, the allegations concerning the so-called Yellow House and organ trafficking were not even part of the indictment. Second, the charges of crimes against humanity and widespread and systematic attacks against the civilian population were dismissed. Third, the Kosovo Specialist Chambers made it clear that the Kosovo Liberation Army is not on trial and that their judgment is in no way intended to undermine the justice or legitimacy of Kosovo’s liberation war.
At the same time, we have serious concerns about the other findings and the severe sentences. We believe they contain factual, historical and legal errors, and we expect these to be corrected on appeal. Justice must be impartial, and it must be seen and experienced as impartial. Around 20,000 people were victims of sexual violence during the war in Kosovo, and many perpetrators have not been brought to justice. Kosovo demands justice for every victim, every crime and every perpetrator. And we cannot allow responsibility for guilt to be equated simply because someone wishes to create alternative narratives.
President von der Leyen, let me once again express my heartfelt thanks for being here.
Kosovo has done its part, and we are ready for the next step towards membership of the European Union.
