Huchet: Kosovo’s path to EU membership runs through reforms and continued dialogue

France’s ambassador to Kosovo, Jean-François Huchet, said that European Union enlargement has returned to the forefront of Europe’s strategic agenda and has become a geopolitical necessity.

Speaking at a discussion in Prishtina titled “European capitals’ positions on enlargement: perspectives, priorities and Kosovo’s path to the EU,” Huchet said enlargement had long been viewed primarily as a technical process. Russia’s war in Ukraine, he said, has significantly changed how the process is viewed.

He stressed that the European project rests above all on peace, security and stability across the continent.

“Enlargement has become a geopolitical necessity, a way to bring the Western Balkans firmly into Europe,” Huchet said.

The French ambassador said France favors merit-based enlargement. At the same time, he said, the European Union itself must prepare its institutions, policies and budget to accommodate a larger membership.

Regarding Kosovo, Huchet said the discussion about its European prospects must take place within the country, not only in European capitals.

“Kosovo has taken important steps: it has applied for membership, and its citizens have gained visa-free travel to the Schengen Area, a very tangible European achievement,” he said.

Nevertheless, he said further progress requires sustained reforms in the rule of law, stronger institutions and an unwavering commitment to dialogue with Belgrade.

Huchet said dialogue with Belgrade remains essential to regional stability and Kosovo’s European path.

“France stands ready to support this process as a partner and a friend of Kosovo,” the ambassador said, also referring to French minister Benjamin Haddad’s recent visit to Prishtina.

In his remarks, the French ambassador also addressed energy security, which he said is now inseparable from the European Union’s enlargement process.

According to Huchet, secure energy supplies, decarbonization, modernization and integration into European markets require cooperation among countries in the region, integrated markets, infrastructure and investment.

He stressed that no single country can address these challenges alone; they require a shared European and regional approach.