Hoxhaj warns Kosovo could fall behind the region in European integration

PDK MP, former deputy prime minister and former foreign minister Enver Hoxhaj has expressed concern that Kosovo could end up as the last country in the region in the process of moving closer to the European Union. According to him, Albania and Montenegro are moving forward towards EU membership.

In a reaction published on Facebook, Hoxhaj said that the day’s developments in the region should be seen as an alarm signal for Kosovo’s institutions.

He congratulated Albania on its progress in EU accession negotiations, as well as Montenegro on closing two new negotiating chapters. “Today, while Albania and Montenegro are moving closer to the European Union every day, Kosovo risks remaining last in the region on the path towards membership,” Hoxhaj wrote.

Referring to Kosovo’s situation, he said that the country has lost ground compared with the European opportunity it had several years ago.

“Until seven years ago, our country had a far more credible European perspective and enjoyed greater support from our partners. Meanwhile, for 3 years Kosovo has been waiting for someone to review its candidate country status, but it has remained in the drawers of the European Union and nobody is dealing with it,” the PDK MP wrote.

In conclusion, Hoxhaj called for European integration to be returned to the centre of Kosovo’s foreign policy. “Kosovo deserves to restore its place on the European agenda and move forward with credibility and vision,” he concluded.