Along with its Western Balkan neighbours, Kosovo has adopted an increasingly European perspective since the European Council meeting in Feira, Portugal in 2000. This was further reinforced by the 2003 Thessaloniki agenda. However, despite the pro-EU found across the board in Kosovo, and repeated promises, the EU has not yet formalised its relationship with us.
Fortunately, decisive steps on this and on the EU’s visa regime for Kosovars are imminent.
The European Council is expected to sign the Kosovo Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) approved by the European Commission in April . This comes on the back of intense negotiations and serious commitments by Kosovo to fulfil internal reforms and improve regional cooperation.
The significance of the SAA to Kosovo is immense. It sends a positive message to those working hard to bring Kosovo into the European family and place it squarely within the EU enlargement process.
Equally importantly, it places substantial momentum behind political and economic reforms in Kosovo and provides further impetus to improving regional cooperation and neighbourhood relations.
When the time is right, this could lead to Kosovo fulfilling its ambitions of joining the EU.
Economically, the SAA will help gradually integrate the Kosovo economy into the EU single market, building confidence in Kosovo’s economy, increasing Foreign Direct Investment and boosting competitiveness. It will also increase exports of agricultural and industrial products to the EU.
Kosovo has also tackled other issues, addressing the technical requirements of the EU’s visa liberalisation roadmap. Improvements range from document security, border management, fighting organised crime and corruption to minority rights, repatriation and a reintegration policy for illegal migrants.
We have also successfully dealt with an unexpected surge in illegal migration to the EU, driven by regional organised crime groups. Within a few months, we managed to reduce the numbers of those seeking to leave Kosovo to nearly zero. In addition, we have taken concrete steps to repatriate and reintegrate those Kosovars that illegally sought asylum in EU member states. More than 15,000 Kosovars have returned home this year.
From our point of view, we now need clear confirmation that Kosovo’s EU future can become a reality. We fully understand that Europe is currently dealing with its own refugee crisis. However, this should not impede Kosovo’s aspirations for visa-free travel to Europe, which it’s citizens deserve.
Kosovo’s stability and economic development is closely linked to its EU perspective. Any further delays would not only endanger the integration agenda, but also would play into the hands of the extremist elements in the country. The greater the EU’s presence in our country, the more prosperous and stable it will be. This will benefit the region and the rest of Europe.
The SAA is more than a simple box-ticking exercise. Once the agreement between Kosovo and the EU is signed and enters into force, Kosovo-EU relations will rise to a greater level of cooperation. This will provide a powerful lever to progress important reforms bringing us closer to the EU, and improving the everyday lives of our citizens.
It is vital that the citizens of Kosovo receive concrete reassurance that their European dream is real. Nothing would send a more positive message than allowing them to travel to visit friends and family in the EU without the high cost and complexity of the current visa regime.