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President Osmani’s address at the Brdo-Brijuni Summit

Dear President Pahor and President Milanovic,   Dear Colleagues,   I want to start by thanking our hosts today for facilitating this meeting of presidents in the region at such an unprecedented time, not just for the Western Balkans, but for the entire world.   It is, however, times like these that show the absolute necessity for cooperation between us, as neighbours, on equal footing and the need for reflection and honesty on how we collectively move forward.   This event marks the 10th anniversary of the Brdo Brijuni process.Today we must remind ourselves of why we started this, and use this as motivation to remove the bilateral barriers and hurdles that have slowed us down along the way.   We need to reflect on what’s been achieved, and indeed what’s not, and crucially, how we can make up this shortfall.This milestone is a reminder of the urgent need for greater regional cooperation with the ultimate goal of European Union integration.   With a clear EU perspective for all, and well-defined commitments for closer cooperation, we put ourselves in a much better position to embody and enact the fundamental values of the European Union: respect for human dignity and human rights, freedom, democracy, equality and the rule of law.   The Republic of Kosova is committed to advancing EU values and regional economic and political cooperation in the true spirit of the Brdo Brijuni Process.   For more than a year now, our region and the entire world have been faced with the deadly COVID-19 pandemic. We have witnessed significant changes in our communities such as children rapidly switching to remote-learning, many employees working from home, and numerous firms adopting digital business models to maintain operations and preserve revenue flows.   The pandemic has presented serious challenges for policymakers in all our countries, but it has also offered an opportunity for drawing out valuable lessons.   There is a clear expectation from citizens that our respective economies should achieve a more efficient and fairer allocation of resources with the aim of enhancing productivity, economic growth and employment. This requires change centered on innovation and entrepreneurship.   Throughout this period, we have also understood that only through coordinated action, solidarity, and institutionalized multilateralism can we stand a chance to preserve our democracies and safeguard the health and wellbeing of our citizens.   And as we continue to battle the challenges posed by the pandemic and focus on the economic recovery, we need bold action and leadership that meet the needs of our citizens, and of our collective society, in the 21st century.   We have momentum for genuine change, and we must use it wisely.   When we all go home after global summits, and meetings like today, I believe the expectation from our citizens is that we come back with deliverable aims and ambitions, not just greetings for the sake of the cameras.   We must work hard to embrace and implement EU rule based models of regional cooperation which promote enhanced trading relations and address shortcomings related to the rule of law and unemployment, and work to intensify cultural, educational and sports exchanges, develop better infrastructure, as well as, look at how we use technology and digitalization to enhance overall welfare.   And, as we do so, we must remain focused on following the roadmap set by the European Green Deal, and jointly agree to turn environmental and climate challenges into opportunities across all policy areas. With the scale and pace of change required, we will need the support of the European Union to ensure equitable distribution among our countries.   Dear colleagues,   The question for our region should not be ‘If the Europe Union?’   The question should be ‘When?’   The sooner the enlargement process is complete, the faster the European Union project itself will be complete. The inclusion of the Republic of Kosova and those countries in the Western Balkans that carry out the necessary reforms is crucial to the success of the Union.   We are well aware of the challenges that the Union faces, those are manifold. We are also aware of the resistance of some Member States towards the idea of EU membership for the Western Balkan countries.   But it must be made clear to everyone questioning the membership of the region that their resistance will only contribute to one thing – and that is it will spur instability and create opportunities for malign actors to exert influence in our region, which in turn could destabilize the whole continent.   By contrast, our membership is the guarantor for stability, sustainable peace and enhanced welfare within the borders of Europe.   But as each of our countries continues to do its share of the work, the European Union has to deliver on its end of the bargain.   And in the case of the Republic of Kosova, it has yet to deliver on its promise to grant our citizens long-overdue visa liberalization. While it has delivered on this promise for many countries, including those in the Far East and Latin America, it has failed to deliver for us.   The citizens of the Republic of Kosova remain isolated and hostage to the domestic political considerations of a very few member states.   Our Republic is the most pro-EU country in the region, and our institutions have fulfilled double the criteria related to visa liberalization compared to all other countries in the region, and it is home to only 1.8m citizens.   It is essential that our ‘European Perspective’ does not remain just an empty phrase. We have fulfilled our duties, so they must now deliver.   My people and my country believe in this project. We believe in European values and we reaffirmed our commitment to these values in the recent election.   I fundamentally believe that the future of the Western Balkan countries lies in the European Union. So, I say this here today, and I will say it to

President Osmani at the Brdo-Brijun Summit: Crimes committed by the Milosevic’s regime are war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide

In her speech at the Summit of Presidents of the region -Brdo-Brijuni process, the President of the Republic of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani speaking in relation to the EU perspective and neighbourly relations in the region, stressed that the following chapters cannot be concluded unless the previous ones have been read and fully understood. President Osmani stressed that it is necessary to accept the truth about what has happened in the region.

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