Prishtina, 1 October 2026
Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo Albin Kurti received European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, on her sixth visit to the country since 2021.
Welcoming her to the capital of the Republic, Prime Minister Kurti thanked President von der Leyen for her continued support for Kosovo and its citizens. He spoke about the significant democratic progress and sustainable economic development achieved by the country, as well as its commitment to reforms.
Prime Minister Kurti stressed that the Republic of Kosovo is fully aligned with the European Union’s Common Foreign and Security Policy and meets all the criteria for candidate-country status and the opening of accession negotiations. As the fourth anniversary of its application approaches, he stressed that Kosovo is seeking, and counting on, the President’s support for opening a merit-based accession process, adding that Kosovo deserves candidate-country status.
He said that five days earlier, the Government of the Republic had approved 10 of the 12 laws that were due in June and resubmitted them to the Assembly, stressing that he was confident that the deputies would act swiftly so that the citizens of Kosovo could fully benefit from the Growth Plan. He added that the parliamentary blockade could cause European funds for these reforms to be left behind.
Prime Minister Kurti stressed that the judgment of the Specialist Chambers in The Hague contains factual, historical and legal inaccuracies that must be corrected on appeal. He added that, while the so-called Yellow House was not even included in the indictment, the allegations of crimes against humanity and widespread and systematic attacks against the civilian population were dropped. The Prime Minister stressed, however, that the deep lack of transparency and the entirely mono-ethnic approach of this court remain matters of concern.
