Meeting with Scholz, Kurti: At the end of the year we apply for the status of EU candidate country

2022-06-10 12:07:54Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
Meeting with Scholz, Kurti: At the end of the year we apply for the status of EU
Olaf Scholz and Albin Kurti

The Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti has appeared in a joint press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, in the framework of the latter's visit to Pristina.

In his speech, Kurti informed Scholz that Kosovo is ready to submit an application for candidate status for the European Union at the end of this year.

"A crucial moment for our region and Europe. After the Russian aggression in Ukraine the world we knew before February has changed. At this time the chancellor has shown vision in defending common values ​​and civil rights. We are united by our people. Thousands of German soldiers have served in Kosovo from NATO and Germany is home to over 400,000 Kosovars. It has been 23 years since Germany and 18 other NATO countries came together to stop the Serbian genocide. We are two days away from the day of the liberation of Kosovo and we all remember the images of that time, when we waited for NATO soldiers and German soldiers.

The European Union estimated that over 4 billion euros were needed for the reconstruction of Kosovo. Germany has played an extraordinary role in the reconstruction of Kosovo and humanitarian aid. Today I assured the Chancellor that despite the difficult socio-economic circumstances our government is continuing with reforms. We are working to meet the reforms needed to meet visa liberalization and European integration. Our application for support for membership in the Council of Europe has met with full understanding, we will continue our aspiration to apply for EU membership later this year.

In this regard, there is an urgent need for Kosovo's membership in NATO's peace program. We continued the conversation on the next steps for visa liberalization. "Regarding the issue of dialogue with Belgrade, I showed that we are a Cretan party and ready for a solution", said Kurti.


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