The President of the Slovenian Parliament, Urška Klakočar Zupančič, emphasized that her country will continue to strongly support Kosovo in all processes towards membership in Euro-Atlantic institutions.
At a press conference following her meeting with the Speaker of the Parliament, Glauk Konjufca, she stated that the relationship between the two countries is excellent and they want to see the cooperation continue in all fields.
“We have excellent relations and our cooperation is satisfactory in terms of the economy. Our Parliament is ready to share best practices regarding Slovenia’s experience with the EU in meeting membership criteria. Kosovo wants to become an EU member, and Slovenia can be of great help here. We support your country’s European perspective and membership in the Council of Europe, as well as your journey towards Euro-Atlantic integrations. This is crucial for maintaining peace and stability in Kosovo and the wider region. Fulfilling the agreement as part of the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue is key to success. Dialogue is the only way forward,” Zupančič emphasized.
She stated that her country remains committed to Kosovo’s stability and will continue to be present as part of KFOR.
“Slovenia is a friend of Kosovo, we will remain so, and we will support you in all your efforts to join various European mechanisms,” she added.
Asked about Kosovo authorities’ insistence that the Brussels agreement should center on mutual recognition, the Slovenian Parliament Speaker said that this would be very beneficial and would impact the future of both countries. “Yes, this can help if both countries recognize each other. Neighboring countries can try to influence this. We will try to influence in this direction, and I think mutual recognition would be very welcome for the future. We know there are open questions for both countries, and it will be difficult to solve them without the help of other countries. Key EU countries, I believe, will help you in this aspect,” added Zupančič.
She further stated that Slovenia is ready to help Kosovo in the process of recognition by the five EU countries that have not yet recognized its independence. “It is also important for third countries to recognize the sovereignty of both countries because then both countries will be on the same level. If we have third countries that do not recognize Kosovo, this becomes more difficult. Slovenia, which knows the region well, can clarify the situation for other European countries that are not familiar with this region and do not understand the shared history of this region. Certainly, we will address all these issues and I hope we will be constructive in this direction,” underlined the Slovenian Parliament Speaker.
Credit: RTK
