The President of the Republic of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani, during her visit to Reykjavik, was received by the Prime Minister of Iceland Katrín Jakobsdóttir.
As Iceland currently holds the presidency of the Council of Europe, the discussions focused on pushing forward Kosovo’s membership in this organization, given its importance for the fundamental freedoms and rights of Kosovo’s citizens.
President Osmani emphasized that Iceland, one of the first states to recognize the Republic of Kosovo, is an important partner and ally of the people of Kosovo. In this regard, President Osmani has appreciated Iceland’s continuous support for Kosovo’s membership in international structures and expressed her willingness to intensify interstate communication in advancing the process of membership in the Council of Europe during the coming months.
During the meeting with Prime Minister Jakobsdóttir, President Osmani mentioned the determination of the people and institutions of Kosovo for NATO membership, and in this spirit, she asked for Icelandic support on this issue, with Iceland being one of the founding states of the North Atlantic Alliance.
President Osmani also stated the progress of the country’s institutions in guaranteeing, protecting and promoting human rights in Kosovo, including the constitutional and legal framework, which is very advanced and fully harmonized with all international conventions. The constitutional model in Kosovo for the protection of the rights of non-majority communities is the most advanced in Europe, emphasized President Osmani, providing concrete examples of this model.
The President further added that the membership of the Republic of Kosovo in the Council of Europe would be an important step for the further strengthening and advancement of human rights through the mechanisms offered by the Council and would constitute progress for all citizens of Kosovo, regardless of ethnicity or religion. Madam President also added that the connection between the process of membership of the Republic of Kosovo in the Council of Europe and the process of dialogue is not a just one emphasizing that these two processes should be seen as separate from one another. For this reason, Kosovo’s membership in the Council of Europe is a reflection of Kosovo’s achievements in implementing the values of democracy and human rights, as evidenced by the reports of relevant international organizations.
On the subject of the security situation in Europe, President Osmani reiterated the commitment of the institutions of the Republic for lasting peace in the region and beyond and also underlined the importance of continuation of support of the Ukrainian people fighting the Russian aggression.
President Osmani and Prime Minister Jakobsdóttir also expressed their readiness to further expand the excellent relations between Kosovo and Iceland in various fields and to open new chapters of cooperation between the two countries.