Foreign Minister Glauk Konjufca stated that Kosovo is seeking equal and fair treatment from the European Union, emphasizing that the country is ready to move forward within a merit-based process.
According to him, this process means that Kosovo should receive candidate status and begin accession negotiations with the EU.
“Also, we want to have equal and fair treatment from the EU. As Kosovo, we are ready to move and advance within this framework of a merit-based process. At the same time, what we believe is that what this merit-based process really means is for Kosovo to have candidate status and to begin accession negotiations with the EU,” Konjufca said ahead of the meeting of EU foreign ministers with their counterparts from the Western Balkans on Monday in Brussels.
Konjufca said that the first step toward this goal is the EU questionnaire.
He also reiterated Russia’s influence in undermining security not only in the Balkans but also in Europe.
“What is truly undermining the security architecture of the Western Balkans, but also of all of Europe, is the malign influence of Russia in our region, and therefore I believe that a united and enlarged European Union should always be seen from the perspective of strategic necessity,” he said.
Regarding the dialogue with Serbia, Konjufca stressed that it must end with mutual recognition.
“As for the dialogue with Serbia, Kosovo has always been and will always be constructive in dialogue, but the dialogue must end with mutual recognition. Let’s start by having the questionnaire, this is the first step. I look forward with great optimism to concrete results,” he stated.
