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DR. VJOSA OSMANI SADRIU
PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF KOSOVO
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President Jahjaga’s speech at the fifth meeting of the National Council on European Integrations

European integration is justly understood as the only option, without an alternative, of the democratic development and advancement of Kosovo. This obligation of our convergence to EU, we must accomplish irrespective of internal challenges that this reformative process is bringing with itself.

Welcome to the fifth meeting of the National Council on European Integration.
 
European integration is justly understood as the only option, without an alternative, of the democratic development and advancement of Kosovo. This obligation of our convergence to EU, we must accomplish irrespective of internal challenges that this reformative process is bringing with itself.
 
We all have our own specific requirements and remarks towards our path of European integrations, but this path is the only one which has the full consensus in the country and which is completely dependent upon us. It depends upon our ability to fulfil the requirements and our will to implement this in practice. It depends upon our efficiency and by all means upon the joint engagements of the institutions and the society of Kosovo.
 
 
Understanding our obligation, through the National Council on European Integration, we have traversed the process of compilation of the National Strategy on European Integration, which defines the commencement of the practical and institutional work on building and further strengthening of the national consensus on European Integration.
 
I would like to express my consideration for the immense work undertaken by the Minister for European Integration, Ms. Çitaku, on the Process of Kosovo’s European integrations and in particular in drafting of the Strategy, alongside with the Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on European Integrations, Mr. Lutfi Haziri. I would also like to thank the experts and other institutions for their contribution towards the drafting of this internal guideline.
 
Drafting of the strategy was all encompasing, with the support of all relevant institutions, political parties, civil society and other relevant stakeholders.
 
Our dedication, within this Council, is based upon the idea that advancement on the journey towards EU will be faster and more successful if we manage to empower a stable partnership between institutions, civil society as well as business and academic sectors.
 
The main aim of this strategy is the need for an effective governance system on all levels. Irrespective of our advances to-date on drafting and planification of policies, it is our objective to raise the performance of the institutions and achieve “effective” implementation of the law. In this direction, we must also harmonise our legislation with the EU legislations, in all sectors of the integrative process.
 
 Second important objective of this strategy is the rule of law, which includes the law and order in the whole territory of the Republic of Kosovo. Establishment of the principles of the state of law includes the establishment and strengthening of all necessary mechanisms which will establish the rule of law and eradication of all negative phenomena in our society. Above all, this means the purification of our society from the phenomenon of corruption and organised crime and establishment of order in all corners of Kosovo.
 
 
Honourable members of the Council,
 
We are at a very important moment, when we are opening a new stage of relations between Kosovo and EU, through launching of the negotiations for the Stabilisation-Association Agreement.
 
It is important that through this process, citizens, and in particular, the private sector, are regularly informed with the impact of the MSA reforms, and on this issue, institutions as well as the civil society and the business community have an important role to play.
 
Us here, must for this purpose present the issues properly and find solutions together, Hence, I reiterate: The path of European integrations has no other alternative. Our readiness to implement all the criteria must be shown from this very moment, and our will must ne our guide towards fulfilment of all what is required of us.
 
We have no time to waste and no justifications to issue, while EU must hold open the EU perspective of each country of the South Eastern Europe and make it clear that problems between neighbours must be solved before membership. It must but all means make it clear that each European path of the countries of South Eastern Europe is an individual one.
 
 
Honourable members,
 
The agreement reached in Brussels, between the Republic of Kosovo and Republic of Serbia, through the facilitation of European Union and strongly supported by the United States, has strengthened the European perspective of the region and has given and additional impetus to the building of the neighbourly relations.
 
Now we must concentrate on the implementation of this agreement, because we are convinced that normalisation of relations between the two states if in the interest of the peace and regional stability.
 
We have entered an important stage of the democratic maturity of our state. We have entered the testing stage of this maturity and I am convinced that we will pass it successfuly.
 
Local elections, which are being held for the first time on the whole territory of the Republic of Kosovo, will demonstrate at the same time that we are a state built upon civic principles and that we respect the rights of each individual living in the territory of the Republic of Kosovo.
 
We want free, all inclusive, just, safe and honest elections. We want elections based on highest standards, with guarantees for each voter. We will not allow frightening of anyone, let alone threatening of our voters, of any community, wherever they are in the territory of Kosovo, in all of its corners. The smooth proceedings of these elections are the test of our democratic maturity and of our seriousness of our EU membership aspiration.

Thank you.

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