Today in Brussels, the EU–Western Balkans Leaders’ Summit is taking place, with the Republic of Kosovo represented by President Vjosa Osmani.
Ahead of the summit, Osmani gave a brief statement to Euronews, stressing that Kosovo is firmly committed to obtaining EU candidate status.
“We hope that our application will be on the table of the Council members very, very soon. In fact, as an identity, as a country, as a nation, we have contributed to the values on which the European Union stands for centuries. Therefore, we strongly believe that, although this is a very complex process, if merit-based criteria were applied, Kosovo would in fact have been a frontrunner by now. However, our case is complex. In addition, because of the five non-recognizing countries, which we truly hope will come to understand that having Kosovo as a member of the Union is not only a benefit for the people of Kosovo, but a strategic imperative. It is a security imperative for the entire continent,” Osmani said, as reported by IndeksOnline.
The President noted that Kosovo has consistently improved its performance in international indices, including those related to the rule of law and the economy.
“If we look at what the EU itself says about this progress, Kosovo is now 100% aligned with the European Union’s Common Foreign and Security Policy. Every single decision in these areas is fully aligned, whether sanctions against Russia or against other adversaries of the Western world. And in terms of values that the EU represents today, Kosovo is also fully aligned through its governance and rule-of-law reforms.
We are at the forefront, and based on international indices such as Gallup International, which was published recently, Kosovo is in fact number one in Europe in terms of the rule of law index. It leads all European countries and ranks third globally when it comes to combating crime and corruption. This has been the top priority of our institutions. Moreover, regarding the Corruption Perceptions Index, we have the lowest level in the region. These are some of the areas in which we have worked extensively, particularly in terms of economic reforms,” the President added.
She further stated that EU reports themselves confirm Kosovo as the leading country in the region in terms of administrative reforms.
“Again, according to the EU reports we receive every year, we are the best in the region when it comes to administrative reforms. Of course, there are still some issues and homework that need to be completed. But I believe that if there were no political complications unrelated to reforms, we would have been absolutely the leading country in the region by now,” Osmani said.
Finally, she reaffirmed Kosovo’s support for Ukraine’s EU integration, emphasizing that in this case as well, Kosovo has aligned itself with the EU, including in imposing sanctions against Russia.
