Kosovo’s Prime Minister announced on Friday that his country will request to be granted candidate status to the European Union by the end of the year.
The announcement came when he received German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on his first visit to the Western Balkans.
“Europe is our destiny, Europe is our future,” said Albin Kurti, prime minister of this former Serbian province, which declared independence in 2008 and has not yet been recognized by Belgrade.
The normalization of relations remains the main obstacle on the European path to Pristina, as well as for Belgrade, despite years of dialogue under the auspices of the Union. Most EU countries recognize Kosovo’s independence, but not Serbia, Russia or China, which prevents it from joining the United Nations.
For his part, the German chancellor called for reconciliation between the two former enemies, following more than two decades of the war that killed 13,000 people, most of whom were Albanian Kosovars.
“It is important for Kosovo to advance the dialogue between it and Serbia, which is managed by the European Union,” he said. He added that the two parties “must find a political solution with a comprehensive and lasting agreement that also contributes to regional stability.”
Schulz stressed that Kosovo “has demonstrated, by supporting all measures and sanctions, that it is a reliable partner that stands closely with us and with the European and international community.”
