Kosovo Applies for EU Membership

The partially recognized Republic of Kosovo submitted its application for membership in the European Union on December 15. This was reported by KosovaPress.

Kosovo's Prime Minister Albin Kurti presented the application in the Czech Republic, a country that has held the presidency of the EU Council for the past six months. He also met with Czech Foreign Minister Mikuláš Bek.

"We want to build the European Union with our people in our country," Kurti said, according to Reuters.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, whose country considers Kosovo part of its territory, stated that Kosovo's application for EU membership violates the Washington Agreements, as reported by Tanjug. The Washington Agreements were signed between Kosovo and Serbia with U.S. mediation in 2020. According to the document, Pristina committed not to propose its candidacy for membership in international organizations, while Belgrade agreed to stop convincing other countries to revoke Kosovo’s independence.

Until now, Kosovo was the only country in the region that had never submitted an EU membership application, Reuters notes.

According to the agency, Kosovo's EU membership process, which is also dependent on resolving relations with neighboring Serbia, could take "years" or even "decades." Against this backdrop, another Balkan country, Bosnia and Herzegovina, received candidate status for EU membership on December 15, as tweeted by Austria's Minister for EU Affairs and Constitution, Karoline Edtstadler. Previously, North Macedonia received candidate status in 2005, Montenegro in 2008, Albania in 2009, and Serbia thereafter.