-
By:
Valbona Bytyqi
- December 13, 2024 19:07
- Share to:
On Sunday, it will be two years since Kosovo applied to become a member state of the European Union. As of December 2022, the application has remained unreviewed. And while the Government expects moves from the new European leadership, those familiar with the integration process expressed skepticism about this.
Kosovo's application for membership in the bloc has remained in the drawer of the European Union for two years now.
It has not been reviewed since December 15, 2022, when it was submitted by Prime Minister Albin Kurti.
The Government expressed their belief that Kosovo deserves to receive the status of a candidate country and said that they will prove this by accepting the questionnaire.
Klisman Kadiu, adviser to Deputy Prime Minister Besnik Bislimi, said that movement is expected from the new EU leadership.
"We are waiting for the acceptance of the questionnaire and evaluation based on meritocracy for the advancement in the process. Kosovo deserves to receive the status of a candidate country, and we will prove this by accepting the completed questionnaire, according to the criteria and deadlines set by the European Union... We expect concrete steps with the arrival of the new constellation in the composition of the institutions in the Union European, and the future presidency of Poland from January", said Kadiu.
Regarding Kosovo's application for membership, officials of the Council of the European Union did not respond on Friday.
And the European Commission said that they are ready to draw up an opinion on this matter, upon being asked to do so by the Council.
"The Commission is ready to prepare an opinion on Kosovo's application for membership in the EU as soon as it is requested by the Council", says the answer.
But European integration experts expressed skepticism about the possibility of a quick review and a positive response.
The professor of political sciences, Afrim Hoti, says that the five EU member states which still do not recognize Kosovo, are keeping the application for membership pending.
"In this light, I believe that even the EU itself is unclear on how to proceed further for membership or to examine Kosovo's application. However, Kosovo should not sit idly by because of the fact that it has to stand behind its application... In other words, without a full recognition by the EU member states, I am very skeptical that Kosovo's application will will be examined and a positive answer will be given to the same", said Hoti.
The submission of the application by Prime Minister Kurti was made to the Czech Republic, the country that at that time presided over the Presidency of the EU.
From January, Poland will take over its leadership. Officials of this country did not indicate what will be the approach to Kosovo's application for EU membership.
