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European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said it is important for Kosovo to continue building strong institutions and "reduce tensions" in the country, following meetings she had with the country's leaders on Wednesday in Pristina.
" We remain committed to a future where all six Western Balkan partners will be part of our union. For this, it is important that Kosovo continues to build strong institutions, reduce tensions in the country, and also complete the necessary steps to benefit from the Growth Plan ," she wrote on her X account.
It is not clear what tensions von der Leyen was referring to in her X post, but Kosovo authorities have recently been criticized by the EU for closing the offices in Mitrovica of the Health Insurance Fund and the Disability and Pension Insurance Fund, which operate under Serbia's system.
The EU had called in September on the acting Government and other relevant Kosovo institutions to "refrain from such provocations and harmful actions and to consult with the local Serb community and international partners."
Von der Leyen was received in separate meetings by the President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, and the acting Prime Minister, Albin Kurti.
Neither von der Leyen nor the Kosovar leaders spoke to the media after the meetings.
Meanwhile, Osmani said on Facebook after the meeting that he and the EC chief discussed the issue of the implementation of the Growth Plan, the EU's punitive measures against Kosovo, and the country's European integration.
"It is a special pleasure to welcome again today in the Republic of Kosovo the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. Together we discussed the implementation of the Growth Plan, the importance of lifting unfair measures against our country, as well as further steps on the path towards our integration into the European Union. The European Commission's support for Kosovo in this process remains essential ," Osmani wrote.
Kosovo continues to remain the only country in the region that still does not have the status of an EU candidate country, three years after applying to join the European bloc.
It also continues to face European punitive measures, which the bloc imposed in 2023 due to rising tensions in northern Kosovo, inhabited by a Serb majority.
Regarding the EU Growth Plan, a 6 billion euro package approved in 2023, Kosovo has not been able to receive the money due to the lack of an Assembly following the February elections.
But now that Kosovo established a new Assembly last week, it can ratify the agreement necessary to begin receiving funds from this plan.
Meanwhile, after meeting with Osmani, von der Leyen was received by Kurti at the Kosovo Parliament building.
On August 8 of this year, the European Union Ambassador to Kosovo, Aivo Orav, informed the acting Government of Kosovo that officials from the European bloc would not hold meetings in the government building until the country had a fully-fledged executive.
According to the letter sent, the decision was made following the "judgment of the Supreme Court of June 25" that declared invalid an administrative instruction signed by the acting Minister of Finance, Hekuran Murati, after arguing that the issuance of sub-legal acts or administrative instructions by ministers who are MPs is unlawful and violates constitutional provisions.
After the news of this letter was published, Kurti's spokesperson told Radio Free Europe that the Prime Minister's Office is Kurti's workplace, but meetings can also be held outside the Government building.
Kosovo has had an executive in office since the February 9 elections. Kurti was mandated by Osmani to form a new government and he has until October 26 to present the new government composition to the Assembly.
61 votes are needed to elect a government, and Kurti has said that he will hold discussions in the coming days to form a majority, as based on the election results, he cannot govern without a coalition partner.
Von der Leyen's visit to Kosovo was part of a Balkan tour. She previously visited Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Before leaving for Kosovo, she met with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić in Belgrade.
Meanwhile, he will conclude his tour of the Western Balkans region today in North Macedonia, where he will meet with state leaders. /REL
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