Kosovo presses EU to act on stalled membership bid
Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani has urged the European Commission to move forward with the country’s EU membership application, pending since December 2022.
Speaking in Pristina alongside visiting German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, Osmani said Kosovo has met more accession criteria than other Western Balkan nations yet remains the only one without candidate status.
She called the EU’s 2023 sanctions on Kosovo “unjust” and demanded their full removal, noting they have restricted funding and harmed citizens. The bloc began easing the measures earlier this year, but they remain partially in place.
Osmani also suggested the EU reconsider its unanimity rule for enlargement decisions, arguing that individual vetoes hinder progress. She reaffirmed Kosovo’s ambitions to join NATO, the Council of Europe, and other international bodies, emphasizing Germany’s vital role as a long-standing ally.
