Zulfaj: Time for EU to deliver on its promise and grant Kosovo candidate status

Kosovo’s chief negotiator with the European Union, Jeton Zulfaj, said in Vienna that it was time for the European Union to deliver on its promise and grant Kosovo candidate status. He added that the reality was that five EU Member States did not recognize Kosovo, but expressed hope that they would change their position.

Zulfaj is attending the Slavkov Group conference on the Western Balkans in Vienna, a format currently chaired by Austria.

“We are pleased to have been invited to participate in the Slavkov Format and are very grateful to Minister Claudia Bauer for inviting us to discuss regional cooperation, the EU enlargement process in the Western Balkans, membership and European security,” Zulfaj told reporters ahead of the meeting.

He said that Kosovo was doing its “homework” and implementing reforms, and that the time had come for it to be granted candidate status and open accession negotiations.

“Until 2024, Kosovo was the only country without visa liberalization. It is now the only one in the region without candidate status, and I think it is time for that to change and for the EU to deliver on its promise to the citizens of Kosovo. This is in the interest of both the EU and Kosovo because it contributes to peace and security in the Western Balkans,” Zulfaj said.

Kosovo’s chief negotiator added that Kosovo wanted to work with the EU in all areas in order to make progress.

“The path toward the EU comprises many chapters—33—and we want to work on all of them. The dialogue with our neighbor on the normalization of relations is one chapter, and its success depends on both sides and on their willingness to make progress and normalize relations. I believe that alignment with the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy, goodwill and good-neighborly relations, and confronting the past without glorifying war criminals should be the approach, which also entails making efforts to normalize relations,” Zulfaj said.

Regarding the five EU countries that do not recognize Kosovo, he acknowledged that this was a reality, but said that Pristina would certainly like those countries to adopt the same position as the other Member States.

He added that Kosovo had a Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the EU, enjoyed visa liberalization and participated in numerous EU instruments, noting that the five countries were cooperative and constructive and recognized the region’s need to move forward.

“Although they may retain their positions—which we have respected—we have also recognized the need for our country to move forward and build relations aimed at ensuring peace and stability in the Western Balkans,” Zulfaj said.

Asked by Kosovo Online’s correspondent whether progress on the European path was possible without functioning institutions, Zulfaj replied that Kosovo was “a fully functioning democracy with free and fair elections.”

Although political parties sometimes clash sharply in their debates, he said, they nevertheless reach consensus in order to avoid prolonged delays, expressing confidence that the parties would succeed in electing the President of Kosovo.