The prime minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, told journalists on Wednesday, August 26th, that the breakaway Republic of Kosovo will officially apply for EU membership by the end of 2022. The announcement took place during a visit by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who was at the capital of Pristina to advocate for progress in negotiations between Kosovo and Serbia in the wake of recent tensions. Since declaring its independence in 2008, Kosovo has yet to be recognized not only by Serbia, but also by five EU countries (Spain, Greece, Romania, Slovakia, Cyprus), as well as by Russia and China.
“We still aspire to the status of EU candidate and we plan to apply at the end of this year,” said Kurti, adding “Europe is our destiny. Europe is our future.” Meanwhile, Olaf Scholz stressed that Kosovo and Serbia must “find a political solution with a comprehensive, sustainable agreement that also contributes to regional stability.”
So far, Kosovo has the status of a ‘potential candidate’ to the EU, the formal application would be the next step in the process. However, to do so, the European Commission, as well as the 27 member states in the Council, must give their unanimous approval. The Foreign Minister of Kosovo, Donika Gërvalla, believes that “Kosovo meets all the prerequisites to be granted official candidate status,” adding that she expects “Kosovo’s case will not take as long as it did for other states in the region” since at this point “Kosovo meets all the prerequisites in terms of legislation, human rights, democratic standards, and rule of law.”
Scholz appreciated Kosovo’s efforts to align itself along EU positions in the current crisis. “Through their support of all measures and sanctions,” said Scholz, “Albin Kurti and the government of Kosovo have shown that Kosovo, as a reliable partner, stands closely by our side, and by the side of the European and international community.”
Besides the planned application to the EU, Kosovo also applied for membership of the Council of Europe (CoE), as well as to the NATO Partnership for Peace program. While the CoE application, according to Gërvalla, is well on its way, the NATO application might face obstacles as acceptance by the members needs to be unanimous.
In the meantime, Serbian President Alexander Vučić once more strongly rejected any form of Kosovarian independence from Serbia or membership in the Council of Europe. “The day we find out that they have officially applied for membership in an organisation, our response will be much stronger than they think and will not be just a statement to the media,” said Vučić, concluding: “Believe me, we will show our teeth.”
