Kurti called on Brussels to grant Kosovo candidate status for EU membership

(Patria) - Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti asked the European Union in Brussels to consider Kosovo's membership application, his cabinet announced.

During a working lunch organised for Western Balkan leaders by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Kurti said that EU enlargement is "the best response to all those who threaten peace and unity in Europe, especially after Russia's military aggression in Ukraine".

In this context, he called for Pristina's application to be considered and for Kosovo to be granted candidate status for EU membership.

He also called for the lifting of restrictive measures imposed by the EU on Pristina last year for failing to take steps towards de-escalating the situation in northern Kosovo, assessing that they are "unjust".

Kurti also stated that Kosovo was among the first to submit a reform agenda proposal to Brussels within the framework of the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, assessing that it thereby showed "commitment" to this European Union initiative.

The Kosovo Prime Minister also confirmed support for the Berlin Process, ahead of the 10th anniversary of the initiative's launch, and emphasized the importance of the full implementation of four mobility agreements signed in Berlin in 2022.

At the working lunch, Kurti also spoke about the digital single market, the single European payments market in euros (SEPA), the common regional market, and regional cooperation and security, the statement added.