Austria supports Kosovo in the KiE/Kereparliamentary Austrian: Conflict with Serbia is an obstacle

Austria's Parliament Speaker Wolfgang Sobotka says his country will support Kosovo's membership in the Council of Europe. In an exclusive interview for Albanian Radio Television during his brief visit to Tirana, the Austrian chief speaker stressed the need for resolving conflict between the parties and leaving behind the past. A good basis for this may be the example between Austria and Italy in connection with South Tirol.

Asked whether Austria will support or not Kosovo's application for membership in the Council of Europe, Sobotka said it is definitely not just that. See when I was the interior minister I fought for visa liberalisation with Kosovo. Then we didn't succeed, that's already going to happen. We support its membership in the Council of Europe, but of course we have to resolve with the parties this regional problem between Kosovo and Serbia, only when it is resolved by their capacity to resolve, then it will be easier for the parties to find their way to each other, but it will be even easier to find the way to the European Union. This conflict is certainly an obstacle, but don't forget that we have other conflicts in the EU, between ethnicities and minorities. It's a theme not only from the Balkans to the table, but as a good example, you could serve South Tirol”, Sobotka said.

Austrian Chief Parliamentary also stressed that the road to the European Union will be long and not easy for Western Balkan countries.

It took Austria a long time. It is a road that started for us very early in the 1970 ' s and was finalised in 1994. It means that this approach and approach process is not only a matter of the European Union's demands, but it is also a matter of countries that should adjust their justice or state systems to the EU. So we see for example that what Albania has done in terms of the justice system is to take example, but there are issues like that of the media, for example, in the written reports that there is still something to do about media freedom or their independence. Or in the fight against corruption the parties still have much to do”, he said.

The Austrian prime minister was in Tirana on a several-hour visit, where he also greeted Albania's parliament at a special plenary session. / RTSH