Kosovo’s acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti made a statement on Europe Day, commemorating the 80th anniversary of victory over Nazism and Fascism, emphasizing the importance of these two dates for the history of the European continent.
Kurti stated that these days are “celebrated and marked in the West, not in the East,” and highlighted that Kosovo embodies the values of democracy, freedom, and peace.
He further emphasized, “For us, the European Union is not a solution, but a choice,” and mentioned that Kosovo has made significant progress in its European integration over the past four years. However, he argued that Kosovo “deserves more” and called for an end to the punitive measures it has been subjected to, which he described as unjust from the beginning.
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“After marking the 80th anniversary of Victory Day over Nazism and Fascism, and the end of World War II, together with our friends and partners from the democratic Western world, today we celebrate Europe Day, on the 75th anniversary of French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman’s Declaration, which laid the foundations for the establishment of the European Union.
These two important days in European history are celebrated and marked in the West, not in the East. Kosovo is inspired by and embodies the highest values of democracy, freedom, and peace, which we want and aspire to express as a contributing state to security and stability in Europe, within the European family.
In the past four years, we have made great strides in the European integration process, but our country deserves more. It deserves to be part of a merit-based process, it deserves to be evaluated on such grounds, including our application for EU membership, and it deserves to no longer be kept under unjust punitive measures that have been in place from the beginning.
The geopolitical situation in Europe and the world since the unjustified Russian aggression against Ukraine and its war crimes there increases the undeniable need for more unity, cooperation, solidarity, and democratic values, as Russia threatens peace and security in Europe and aims to destabilize it.
Kosovo’s natural orientation is the European Union. For us, the European Union is not a solution, but a choice. Robert Schuman, referring to the events of World War II, said in his declaration: “A united Europe was not achieved, and we had war.”
Let us learn from history, let us learn from the past, and let Europe be more united than ever before, with democratic states within it that contribute to peace, freedom, security, progress, and prosperity.”
