Prespa Forum: Kurti expresses disappointment with EU over visa non-liberalisation

He considered that the European Union is slow in processes and that it lacks unity.

The Republic of Kosovo shares disappointment with the EU's decision not to open negotiations with Albania and with northern Macedonia. As a country denied visa liberalisation, we understand your frustration. The EU is slow, lacks unity, but it is still our best hope and the only option we have. We belong here. The Western Balkans are part of Europe and we are neighbouring states of EU states”, Kurti said today at the Prespa Summit.

Kurti stressed that Western Balkan countries must work to become EU members. And according to him, it can only be achieved if the Balkan countries accept historical truth and reality.

Instead of continuing to feel frustrated with EU decisions, we should ask ourselves what we should do to get there. If we look inside of us, we find that we have many problems. There is a struggle with authoritarian powers and against criminal monopolies and against breaking the rule of law, rejecting historical truth and acting that we can build democratic societies between our nations only by denying what happened and trying to change the” reality, Kurti said.

The Kosovo prime minister insisted that the countries of the region should carry out, as he said, the “tasks of the house” to integrate into the EU.

A large part of the responsibility lies with the EU, but we also have to carry out our homework. Even Novi Sad's idea of BARMini-Schengenı, an initiative that has no vision for the region, and that the Republic of Kosovo strongly opposes, as such should be rejected. Disillusionment with the EU should not be instrumentalised by countries that do not love NATO and that favour Russia”, Kurti added.