Kosovo has announced its intention to apply for membership of the European Union (EU), according to a statement issued after the EU-Kosovo Stabilization and Association Council.
The meeting was held in Brussels under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albina Kurti. The EU delegation was led by EU High Representative Giuseppe Borrell.
The participants emphasized the importance of the Pristina-Belgrade dialogue, which aims to normalize relations between the two sides.
“It is extremely important that Kosovo and Serbia follow their own European path,” the statement said.
Serbia also wants to join the EU and is committed to normalizing relations with Kosovo in this regard.
Since 2013, Belgrade and Pristina have been trying to regulate relations through the EU.
Belgrade effectively lost control of Kosovo, a predominantly Albanian population, in 1999 following NATO military intervention, but in 2008 Pristina unilaterally declared independence from Serbia.
Kosovo’s independence has already been recognized by more than 110 countries, including most EU member states, but Serbia still considers the former province part of its territory. This position is also supported by Belgrade’s ally Russia and China, which are blocking Kosovo’s accession to the UN.
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