EU calls for formation of Kosovo government: We need a partner

The European Union Ambassador to Kosovo, Aivo Orav, has said that the EU needs a partner in Kosovo, as he called for the formation of a new government.

At the conference "Kosovo towards the European Union: The Road to a Solution", Orav said that the EU needs a partner to be able to discuss concrete steps towards integration.

 "You can do things and you can take your country towards the European Union. And I want to say that the arguments that a neighboring country is doing even worse do not bring Kosovo closer to the European Union. Now, what we expect a lot from Kosovo is, first of all, to have a partner. Yes, we have a partner – the president – ​​but we also need the executive power. So, we need a partner with whom to talk about the next steps, how to move closer to the European Union. We very much hope that the government will be formed as soon as possible," he said.

He added that the EU's position on developments in the north is clear. He reiterated that the lifting of measures against Kosovo has begun, but said that close cooperation is needed to move forward.

"The closure of institutions in the north. Again, the European Union has made its position clear – privately, officially and publicly. Measures against Kosovo. The EU High Representative, Kaja Kallas, was here just a few days ago and she announced that the gradual lifting of measures against Kosovo has begun. But to move forward, we clearly need very good and close cooperation with the authorities here," Orav said.

He also spoke about the issue of the Association of Serb-majority Municipalities, emphasizing that this is a topic that must be addressed seriously and without delay.

"A topic that everyone is talking about, but which is not so popular with politicians here in Kosovo, is the Association of Serb-majority Municipalities. But the EU's position is once again clear: it must be done. It must be done and it is better to do it sooner rather than later, to move forward. My message is that we in the EU are ready to move forward and we very much hope that Kosovo will do the same," he said.

The Ambassador of the Netherlands to Kosovo, Karin Boven, supported the call for the immediate formation of the government, emphasizing that without functional executive power, the commitment to integration cannot be materialized.

“High Representative Kallas, already mentioned last week, brought good news about the start of the gradual lifting of EU measures, as requested by all institutions and political parties in Kosovo. And as the EU, we now need to see actions that contribute further to the approximation with European values ​​and standards. Let me also draw attention to the European growth plan, already mentioned, another major opportunity for Kosovo’s gradual integration into the EU, an opportunity that already awaits concrete actions by Kosovo. Kosovo has no time to waste. At this point, as I already mentioned, the main priority is the formation of a government and the immediate start of its work,” she said.

The Dutch Ambassador praised the progress made by Kosovo over the years, but stressed that the pace of reforms is crucial for the success of integration.

The conference is being organized by the FOL Movement and the Pristina Institute for Political Studies.

Although elections were held in Kosovo on February 9 and the results were certified at the end of March, the Assembly has not yet been constituted to pave the way for the formation of the Government./KOHA