Zulfaj in Brussels again calls for candidate status for Kosovo

Kosovo's chief negotiator for talks with the European Union, Jeton Zulfaj, called for Kosovo to be granted EU candidate status during a meeting in Brussels with diplomatic representatives of the permanent missions of EU member states, the European Commission and the European External Action Service.

“In the presence of 30 diplomats from Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland and Sweden, as well as representatives of key EU institutions involved in decision-making, chief negotiator Zulfaj presented Kosovo's progress and called for a step forward toward obtaining EU candidate country status,” the statement on Facebook said.

Zulfaj conveyed the commitment of Kosovo's government and institutions to implementing the Reform Agenda. The meeting also addressed progress and challenges on Kosovo's path toward European integration.

“Without overlooking the challenges in this process, the chief negotiator emphasized that Kosovo's current position as a potential candidate does not reflect the progress the country has made compared with other countries in the region. Kosovo ranks highly in various international indices measuring democratic progress and economic development,” the statement added.

Agron Bajrami, Pristina's chief negotiator in the dialogue with Belgrade, also attended the meeting in Brussels.