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The President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, has criticized the European Union for being "unfair" to Kosovo in its policies in the Western Balkans, not removing the punitive measures against it and showing no willingness to consider its request for membership in the bloc. .
Speaking after arriving in Brussels for the EU-Western Balkans summit, Osmani said on Wednesday that it seems that there are tendencies in the EU from some member states for Kosovo to be constantly punished. She said that such meetings are a good opportunity to advance the European perspective of the entire region, but, according to her, in the process of enlargement, the EU is doing "injustice" to Kosovo.
Kosovo has applied for membership in the European Union on December 15, 2022, but its request has not yet been reviewed, and as a result, it is the only country in the Balkans that does not yet have the status of a candidate country. Osmani insisted that if there is political will on the part of the EU, modalities can be found to mandate the European Commission to examine Kosovo's application for membership.
" If I am honest, I am disappointed with the treatment of Kosovo by some EU member states. If I ask why, then clearly the main reason is that there is no progress in lifting the measures against Kosovo. They are still in force and as we have seen in the conclusions of the Council, they will not be removed even in December. They are unfair and un-European. There is nothing European and nothing based on value, to punish people even in projects like drinking water. I am here to thank the two thirds of member states who supported the lifting of the measures and to ask the rest what is European to punish 1.7 million Europeans living in Kosovo, the most pro-European country in the world with 97 percent believing on our European way ", Osmani said.
She further added that Kosovo has one hundred percent aligned its foreign policy with that of the EU and was the first in the region to impose sanctions on Russia.
" And our people remain punished, although we met all the conditions that the EU requested. Also, it has been over two years since we applied for membership, and our application is still somewhere in a drawer and has not been reviewed. If you see the reforms undertaken by Kosovo, in terms of reforms and values, we are the first in the region, even before some EU member states. But we do not see the necessary political will from some member states to support us on our European path ", Osmani said.
She said that all Western Balkan countries should be included in this momentum of EU expansion, and the process should be based on merit.
Osmani congratulated Albania and Montenegro for the great progress on the European road, but said that the positive language of the EU towards Serbia is sending a bad message in the region and especially in Kosovo.
"The message we receive, especially people in Kosovo, is that the more you align yourself with Russia, Iran and China, the more progress you make, and open new clusters and close chapters on the road to EU membership. Whereas if you are one hundred percent aligned with the EU, then there is no progress. This is not a merit-based process ," she said.
Osmani also mentioned the recent attack on the Ibër-Lepenci canal, while he said that Serbian gangs were behind the attack.
"Serbia's continuous aggression against Kosovo is against the principles of international law and against the values of good neighborliness, which are the values of the EU. Last month we had an attack on critical infrastructure in Kosovo by Serbian gangs, which aimed to leave 70 percent of the people of Kosovo without water, power and heating in the winter. It resembles the Russian attacks on Ukraine in the middle of winter. Until this happens, and Serbia has not taken responsibility for next year's aggressions in Kosovo, it is being rewarded and making great progress with the opening of new chapters. The policy that is based on merit should be applied to the entire region" , Osmani said.
She said that Serbia is attacking its neighbors, and that she comes to Brussels to talk about European integration.
" Sitting on two chairs at once, and helping Russia in the war in Ukraine, does not contribute to peace and stability in the region and beyond. We cannot talk about peace and stability in Europe without peace and stability in the Western Balkans. The state that constantly endangers stability in the Western Balkans also endangers stability in the continent of Europe ", concluded Osmani.
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