MFA of Spain: We cannot support Kosovo's application for EU membership

Spain cannot vote for Kosovo's application for membership in the European Union because it does not recognize it, the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Kosovo Online.

"Spain, like other countries of the European Union, has not changed its position on the non-recognition of Kosovo and believes that dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina is the only possible way to achieve a permanent solution to the dispute over the territory. According to the non-recognition logic, Spain cannot vote for the application for membership in the EU," as stated in the response of the Press Service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Spain to our portal.

Prime Minister Albin Kurti submitted Kosovo's application for EU membership in Prague on December 15, as the Czech Republic holds the presidency of the EU Council until the end of the year.

The spokesperson of the Czech EU Presidency, Eva Hrncirova, said that by the end of the Czech presidency of the EU, member countries and EU institutions would be informed about Kosovo's request for membership. She also stated that there would not be enough time for any other procedure in the last days of their EU presidency.

Professor Slobodan Zecevic from the Institute of European Studies tells Kosovo Online that the sequence of steps is such that Kosovo's request will come to the Committee of the Permanent Representatives in the European Union (Coreper) and that the Spanish representative there will say that they do not accept Kosovo's candidacy for membership.

"Spain follows its policy that territorial integrity is very important for them because they could disintegrate in an hour if that were not the case. They are afraid of the borders in Europe changing. When there is no agreement in Coreper, and it is planned to be decided by consensus, then some issue can be forwarded to the ministerial level, but the Spanish position is so principled on this issue that it will not be different there either. This means that Kosovo's request remains on ice," Zecevic says.

A few days before Kosovo officially sent its request, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic sent letters to the presidents of five EU member states that did not recognize Kosovo, that is, to the leaders of Greece, Cyprus, Slovakia, Romania, and Spain. As he said, each letter was personal and different, and he thanked everyone for supporting the Serbs in terms of territorial integrity.

"These are our friends and I believe that the letter will mean something," Vucic said then.