Understanding Needed for European Integration

Minister Hoxha stressed that the European Commission's Strategy for the Western Balkans has been warned in the context of “Syncing Declaration” that was promoted after the presentation of European Commission President Jean Claude Juncker in the annual speech before the European Parliament in September 2017.

None of the other countries in the region, the minister stressed, was formally introduced to any draft of this strategy, so she stressed, it is premature to comment on its contents until next week.

“Under the regular exchange we have with EU institutions and member states, we have introduced our positions. In this regard let me give you some of these attitudes. The integration process of Kosovo has had a progressive advantage in recent years. We have secured the Stabilisation and Association Agreement, we are on the verge of visa liberalisation, we have secured access to EU programmes, and we are the largest per capita resident of EU assistance”, Minister Hoxha stressed.

We expect that the Strategy will recognise the progress achieved and confirm the advancement of Kosovo's integration process in the European Union, the minister said before the Parliamentary Commission, adding that we are fully aware of objective restrictions, respectively, not recognition by the 5 EU member states, but also convinced that if we ensure that the homework is met through the rigorous implementation of the SAA, the European Union will find ways to further advance the integration process of Kosovo.

Hoxha, asked MPs to extract a joint resolution from the Convention with consensus of all political parties to express commitment to advance integration processes because European integration has no alternative. Reforms must be made in justice, economy and public administration, and Kosovo institutions, Minister Hoxha stressed, they must speak in one voice and have a common position on the priorities of the policies and laws for the SAA and the ERA as an inter-initiative consensus.

The minister also stressed that some of the issues expected to be achieved tangible results are in the area of the judiciary, better economic growth and education, both the tasks that need to be argued.

The “should not be forgotten that the first priority of our institutions should be to implement full-time reforms with the SAA. Only the convincing results and progress within the normalisation of relations with Serbia will our institutions with a position where we can ask for more on the part of the EU. For now, the ball is on our side to complete our homework, if you allow me to put it this way”, the minister stressed.