Kosovo’s chief negotiator with the European Union, Jeton Zulfaj, expressed his disappointment over the lack of attention to Kosovo’s application for EU membership. He spoke in Dublin, where ministers for European affairs discussed the Union’s enlargement with candidate and potential candidate countries.
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“Almost four years have passed since we submitted our application. Throughout this entire period, we have not heard anyone in this room call for Kosovo’s application to move forward,” Zulfaj said.
He also questioned why he was being asked to convince all participants that Kosovo deserved to advance in the European integration process.
“Enlargement is the European Union’s most powerful foreign policy instrument, as an aspiring country adapts itself to the Union’s values, standards and model. For this reason, progress toward the EU through a merit-based process is equally in the interest of the European Union and the aspiring country. Nevertheless, Kosovo’s progress and our citizens’ desire to join the European Union continue to be ignored,” he said.
Kosovo submitted its application for membership in the European Union in 2022, but the process has made no progress since then.
During his speech, Zulfaj also referred to the presence of Serbia’s minister for European integration. He criticized the Serbian government, which had received the body of a person convicted of genocide with military honors the previous day, and intends to bury him this weekend with state honors.
“This is wrong. If we say nothing, it will remain a stain on our conscience,” Zulfaj said.
His full post:
Dear Minister Byrne,
Dear Commissioner Kos,
Dear colleagues,
Thank you for the invitation.
Three days ago, the Government of Kosovo joined the EU Council’s 55 most recent decisions and the statements issued by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union. Through this action, Kosovo maintained its full level of compliance, at 100 percent, with the Common Foreign and Security Policy.
Kosovo joined the European Union’s sanctions against the Russian Federation for its aggression against Ukraine. At the same time, we are continuing to strengthen democracy, rule-of-law institutions and security.
Membership in the European Union is a voluntary choice and belongs to those who want it. The citizens of Kosovo want this membership and have consistently demonstrated that. In the region, Kosovo ranks among the countries with the highest level of public support for EU membership.
As a country that shares and respects the Union’s fundamental values, set out in Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union, Kosovo naturally has its place in the European family.
When we submitted our application for membership in Prague on 15 December 2022, we made it clear that we were not seeking alternative paths or an accelerated procedure. Our aim is to build the European Union within our own country.
We believe that the membership process itself helps Kosovo become a better country.
The membership process and the work on each chapter strengthen rule-of-law institutions, improve justice, protect rights, contribute to cleaning the air and water, and make the energy sector more sustainable.
Enlargement is the European Union’s most effective foreign policy tool because it transforms aspiring countries in line with the Union’s values, standards and model.
Consequently, progress toward the EU through a merit-based process is as much in the interest of the European Union as it is of the country seeking membership.
Despite this, Kosovo’s progress and the will of its citizens to join the European Union continue to be disregarded.
Almost four years have passed since we submitted our application, and during this time we have not heard anyone in this room call for it to move forward.
Whenever I raise this issue, I am told that I must convince all of you that Kosovo deserves to advance.
But is that not precisely the responsibility of the Commission, the Council and the European Parliament?
I believe it is.
The European Union has an interest in preventing malign actors from gaining influence on its continent. Failure to act in the face of such a threat would mean shirking the Union’s own fundamental responsibilities.
For a quarter of a century, Kosovo has built relations with the European Union. This relationship, which also has a contractual character, has been built on the expectation that Kosovo will one day become an EU member. This promise has driven reforms and encouraged citizens to hold their governments accountable for implementing them.
The European Union is a peace project for Europe. No state can regard it as its own property, because it is a shared project.
Those who try to use the power of this project to impose conditions on others outside a merit-based process should remember that they themselves were once outside it and waiting to become part of it. They benefited enormously from the solidarity that was offered to them.
The citizens of Kosovo expect the European Union to fulfill its responsibility as well. This autumn, the European Commission should be invited to prepare its Opinion on Kosovo’s application, and the process should be allowed to continue on the basis of merit.
In conclusion, given yesterday’s developments, I consider it necessary to add one more issue.
Serbia’s minister for European integration is also present at today’s meeting. His government, one day earlier, received with military honors the body of a person convicted of genocide, the gravest crime known to humanity, and intends to bury him this weekend with state honors.
This is wrong. If we do not react, it will remain a stain on our conscience.
Thank you for your attention and for the opportunity.
