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In her speech at the Summit of European Union leaders with those of the Western Balkans, the President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani called for visa liberalization for the citizens of Kosovo, seeking the support of member states, to give a clear message sot.
“My citizens feel discriminated against, despite being the most pro-European people and meeting all the criteria for 4 years. They remain isolated in the heart of the continent where they live. The irony is that we are here as equal members of the international community, discussing the European agenda, but of course I sit among you here today as the only person – the only person – at this table who needs to get a visa to attend in this summit, “declared Osmani.
In a full speech posted on Facebook, Osmani also reaffirmed Kosovo’s intention to apply for European Union membership this year.
“The Western Balkans is not a simple neighborhood, it is a natural part of Europe – and a strategic interest in lasting peace and stability on this continent. That is why this year we have decided to apply for the status of EU candidate country and we hope that the next meeting of the Council will support our application. “
Osmani underlined that any delay in integrating the Western Balkans into the union leaves room for external factors such as Russia and China to reinforce their narrative and influence in the region.
“The indecision of the European Union towards our region would create opportunities for Russia, something that no reasonable leader in this room should want. This indecision would also lead to the frustration of the citizens, which would allow Russia to reinforce its narrative. We count on your leadership and determination. We will never stray from our Euro-Atlantic path. “We have never looked the other way and we will never do it.” – concluded Osmani.
The President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, also focused on visa liberalization for Kosovo. In Brussels during the summit, Metsola said the Western Balkans must find its place in the European home.
“It’s a historic day,” he said. Today is the day when we really need to start membership negotiations for Albania and Northern Macedonia and we really need to start talking about guaranteeing visa liberalization for Kosovo. The Western Balkans must find its place in the European home. “Today is the day when enlargement should be used in time of war,” she added.
Kosovar public expectations from the summit have to do with visa liberalization, as Kosovo is the only country in the region whose citizens do not enjoy freedom of movement.
It is noticed that there is an increase of support for the liberalization to be done as soon as possible, but there were no concrete indications that this could be included in the summit documents./Rel
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