Kurti: Kosovo to request EU membership this month

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Prime Minister Albin Kurti said on Thursday that the Kosovo government will file a request for membership in the European Union in the next two weeks.

Kurti told a summit of European Social Democrats that he expects that political group to support the request. “This month, before Christmas, Kosovo will submit a request for membership in the EU,” he said.

European Commission spokeswoman Ana Pisonero confirmed that Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi met with Kosovo deputy Prime Minister and chief negotiator Besnik Bislimi but did not want to comment Pristina’s intention of applying for European Union membership.

He called the summit to “think outside the current progress coordinates”, adding that the Western Balkans need concrete support and dates as the way to keep all the states of the region on the European path. “We need a faster accession process. We have spoken about European prospects and expansion but we need membership in the EU. Nothing else will be enough. It’s hard to mobilize people and maintain optimism and enthusiasm if we don’t have a time frame,” Kurti said.

“The important thing is to have a tide in the Western Balkans which will raise all ships at the same time,” the Kosovo Prime Minister said.