Zulfaj and Kos discuss Kosovo’s steps toward EU membership

Kosovo’s chief negotiator for the European Union, Jeton Zulfaj, held a meeting in Brussels today with European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos, with the country’s progress toward EU membership at the center of the discussions.

During the meeting, Zulfaj presented Kosovo’s progress in the areas of the rule of law, strengthening democratic institutions and implementing reforms related to the European integration process. He reaffirmed Kosovo’s commitment to the European Union’s fundamental values, as well as its full alignment with the Common Foreign and Security Policy.

The parties also discussed developments במסגרת the Growth Plan, integration into “SEPA” and inclusion in the “Roam Like at Home” scheme. Zulfaj stressed that the government is treating these issues as a priority.

An important part of the meeting was devoted to Kosovo’s application for membership in the European Union, submitted on December 15, 2022. The chief negotiator thanked Commissioner Kos for her engagement in the enlargement process and called for proactive support from the European Commission for the submission of the questionnaire, the granting of candidate status and the launch of accession negotiations.

Zulfaj said Kosovo understands the challenges accompanying the enlargement process and will work to address them on its path toward EU membership.

He praised the European Union’s support and investments, for which the citizens of Kosovo are grateful. According to him, this support has been transformed into efforts to build a state with functioning democracy, equal rights and security for all. Zulfaj also underlined that the EU should recognize and value the commitment of the government and citizens to reforms, as well as the broad public support for membership in the Union.

The discussion also covered recent developments, including the law adopted by the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo on the Specialist Chambers. Zulfaj explained the circumstances in which the law was adopted and stated that the September 16 verdict was unjust. He said he expects the decision to be corrected at the appellate level, while announcing that the government has already established a working group to draft the state strategy.

The chief negotiator stressed that Kosovo is a functioning democracy, with a separation of powers and a clear commitment to the rule of law.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Zulfaj thanked Commissioner Kos and expressed his readiness to continue reforms and close cooperation with EU institutions as part of the membership process, the Office of the Prime Minister said in a statement.