Bislimin calls EU measures unfair, requires lifting them under Borell's recommendation

Biselim received this request as she hosted the meeting during today's Italian ambassador to Kosovo Antonello De Riu.

According to a report, bilateral relations and possibilities for deepening were reportedly discussed during the meeting.

Kosovo's <x0st European integration was also the focus of the conversation, where the deputy prime minister stressed the country's commitment under the Development Plan, as well as the importance of moving forward with Kosovo's application for membership in the European Union”.

In addition, the statement reportedly underscored the need for removing EU punitive measures against Kosovo, which continue to be unfair and remain in force even after the EU High Representative, Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell's report recommends that the measures should be removed.

The Kosovo government has repeatedly demanded that punitive measures imposed by the European Union over a year ago be removed. Prime Minister Kurti said that request was made during the last days.

But EU spokesman Peter Stano responded by saying that “is not Kosovo, nor is its prime minister deciding whether the measures will be removed, this is a decision that member states should make”.

He made it known that discussions on the issue continue to take place among the bloc's states until he mentioned his chief's report, Chief Diplomat Josep Borelli, in which the removal of these measures was recommended.

The High Representative's “has issued a statement on behalf of the EU on 3 June, followed by the High Representative's report on meeting EU requirements on Kosovo's part. Discussions about lifting measures for Kosovo continue among member states on Council”, Stano has said.

The measures towards Kosovo were imposed more than a year ago in response to the escalation of the security situation in northern Kosovo, when the new leaders began their work in municipalities in the north following elections that were boycotted by local Serbs.

The EU's measures towards Kosovo included: the provisional suspension of working groups for a Stabilisation and Association Agreement, Kosovo's failure to attend high-level meetings and the suspension of bilateral visits.

Also suspended was Kosovo's funding programming, which were meant to be delivered through the Western Balkans Investment Framework and IPA 2024 (Pre-membership Instruments).