Prishtina, April 26, 2018 – The President of the Republic of Kosovo, Hashim Thaçi, received today the President of the European Council, Donald Tusk.
President Thaçi said it is a great pleasure to have President Tusk here, a friend of our country and a great supporter of EU enlargement with the Western Balkan states.
“The European Union and the Western Balkans region, including Kosovo as well, have never been closer to one another than today. However, I think that both sides, the EU and the Western Balkan countries, have realized that we can do much more together, so that we can more effectively implement what the EU has clearly re-actualized, 15 years from the Thessaloniki Summit, i.e. the membership of all Western Balkan states in the EU. Therefore, in every circumstance, I consider it as an achievement that 15 years later, now at the Sofia Summit, all EU member states and all Western Balkan states will have the opportunity to face each other to reflect on the many achievements that have been made on our common path, but certainly also on the challenges of the process, stated President Thaçi.
The Head of State has said that he expects this to be a moment which will also encourage a reflection on the strategic importance of our integration.
“What is clear is that Kosovo has an urgent need to accelerate its steps towards EU membership. Kosovo is blessed because it reflects an absolute civic support towards the EU and its values. However, Kosovo needs concretization of its European perspective and our minimum ambition is to get the status of candidate country for EU membership in a short period of time”, he said.
President Thaçi stressed that with President Tusk they agreed that a positive momentum has been created and that there are many things we can do together, but of course the political obstacles must be overcome.
“We also talked about our commitment to the dialogue process on the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia, facilitated by the European Union. This commitment implies the implementation of the agreements reached so far, but also the movement towards a legally binding final agreement that will enable mutual recognition and EU integration”, added President Thaçi.
He stressed that Kosovo remains interested not only to continue the dialogue with Serbia, but also to turn it into a genuine process of reconciliation and sustainable peace building in the region.
President Thaçi has said that with President Tusk they also discussed about the most urgent issue on our European path, about visa liberalization.
On the other hand, the President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, has said that the European Union is and will continue to be the most trusted partner of the whole region.
He said that the EU at the Sofia Summit should reaffirm its clear support for the European perspective of the region and welcome the strategic determination and the joint commitment of its partners in the Western Balkans towards European principles, values and unity.
The President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, has said that in Brussels and in the European capitals Kosovo’s achievements are appreciated and they can be a model for our neighbors as well.
President Thaçi also informed President Tusk about the work that has been done to fulfill all the conditions that the EU has set and has once again called for the support and acceleration of the decision-making process that will pass to the Council of the EU as well.