Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti met with his Irish counterpart, Micheál Martin, in Dublin during the European Political Community (EPC) summit, highlighting Kosovo’s ambition to join the European Union and NATO.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, Kurti said that obtaining EU candidate status and opening membership negotiations are the first essential steps towards achieving Kosovo’s European integration goals.
He also expressed hope that Ireland’s presidency would support Kosovo in advancing its EU accession process.
“The Republic of Kosovo also wants to join the European Union and NATO, but to get there, we must first obtain candidate country status and open accession negotiations. We are counting on the Irish presidency,” Kurti said.
The Kosovo Prime Minister also thanked the Irish people for welcoming more than 1,000 Kosovo Albanian refugees in 1999, when they were forced to flee their homes as a result of atrocities committed by Serbian forces.
Kurti further expressed gratitude to Irish soldiers and officers who have served in Kosovo as part of the NATO-led KFOR mission for more than 25 years, contributing to the country’s security and stability.
Commenting on the importance of the European Political Community meeting, Kurti stressed that cooperation and coordination among European leaders are particularly important amid Russia’s ongoing aggression against Ukraine.
He also pointed to attacks on critical infrastructure and the growing threat of hybrid warfare, saying that gatherings such as the EPC summit provide an important opportunity for participating countries to coordinate their positions and strengthen collective efforts in addressing shared security challenges.
