The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, paid an official visit to Pristina this Thursday as part of her tour of the Western Balkans, where she met with Prime Minister Albin Kurti and the acting president, Albulena Haxhiu.
During the joint press conference with Prime Minister Kurti, the main attention was paid to the latest decision of the Specialist Chambers in The Hague against former KLA leaders, Kosovo's integration processes, and political stability in the country.
The main issues of discussion and the positions of the parties include:
Specialist Chambers Decision: Von der Leyen stressed that the independence of the judiciary must be guaranteed and the guilty verdict must be respected, underlining that criminal responsibility is individual. “No one and nothing can rewrite the history of Kosovo,” she declared, praising the maturity shown by citizens and political leaders.
Kosovo Government's position: Prime Minister Albin Kurti expressed reservations about the conclusions of the first instance, stating that the decision contains factual, historical and legal errors that are expected to be corrected in the Appeal. Kurti recalled that the Court itself has determined that the KLA's liberation war was not on trial and demanded justice for all victims of the war.
Political Stability and Presidential Election: The EC leader called for continued dialogue between political parties to consolidate institutions. Following the constitution of the Assembly and the Government, she described the election of the new president as the next critical step to guarantee state stability.
European Integration and Growth Plan: Kurti asked the EC to grant Kosovo candidate country status and membership in European standardization organizations. For her part, Von der Leyen confirmed that Kosovo could benefit from up to 882 million euros from the EU Growth Plan, of which 62 million euros have already been disbursed as pre-financing.
After visits to Albania and Kosovo, Ursula von der Leyen will continue her regional tour to Montenegro and North Macedonia, skipping Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina due to the electoral processes taking place there.
