EU welcomes Kosovo in fight against Russian military aggression in Ukraine

The Council of Europe has welcomed Kosovo in the fight against Russia’s military aggression in Ukraine in a report.

Kosovo has made its geostrategic orientation clear, according to the EC.

“The Council of Europe welcomes the strong support Kosovo has provided against Russia’s military aggression in Ukraine, its clear geostrategic orientation, as well as its focus on the continued implementation of EU restrictive measures, in particular against Russia and Belarus,” says the document, writes The Geopost.

The report stresses that ministers welcomed Kosovo’s progress in the reform process, in strengthening democracy and the rule of law, and in fighting corruption.

The conclusions also express support for visa liberalization for Kosovo, as well as the expectation that the issue will be resolved as soon as possible.

Kosovo, like Serbia, needs to step up its efforts in the dialogue to normalize relations with what it calls “good faith and a willingness to compromise” in order to reach a legally binding agreement.

KOSOVO

95. The Council welcomes Kosovo’s continued commitment to its European path and reiterates the importance of continued implementation of the EU-Kosovo Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA).

96. The Council welcomes continued progress with regard to strengthening democracy and the rule of law, the overall administration of justice, fight against corruption, anti-terrorism and prevention of violent extremism. It calls on Kosovo to continue to step up the fight against organised crime. In the field of the judiciary, the Council calls on Kosovo to improve the implementation of existing tools to safeguard the integrity, independence and efficiency of the judicial system, including through appropriate legislative changes, and welcomes the government’s commitment to follow the Venice Commission’s recommendations and to cooperate with the EU. Kosovo should further pursue public administration reform, stepping up efforts to put in place a professional, accountable and citizen-oriented civil service, in line with European and international standards.

97. The Council calls on Kosovo to address recurrent election process shortcomings and to implement related EU Election Observation Missions recommendations before the next elections due in 2025. In this context, the Council welcomes the creation by the Assembly of a multi-party ad hoc committee to work on these reforms. The Council encourages all political parties to work together to further strengthen the Assembly’s legislative role, as well as its oversight role, and to prioritise key legislation, in particular on EU-related reforms, where multi-party support should be sought.

98. The Council welcomes Kosovo’s strong condemnation of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, its clear geo-strategic orientation as well as its voluntary alignment with and continued implementation of the EU restrictive measures, in particular against Russia and Belarus.

99. The Council notes that Kosovo’s economy has experienced a strong economic rebound after

the pandemic but that the growth outlook in 2022 has deteriorated. Current global economic challenges highlight the need to continue to address long-standing structural problems, in particular in relation to energy security but also the lack of economic diversification, the dependence on external financial flows and the widespread informal economy, as well as challenges in the area of rule of law, including corruption.

100. The Council calls on Kosovo to swiftly approve an ambitious and forward-looking energy strategy and to increase the share of renewable sources in its energy mix. Sustained efforts are needed to ensure the security of supply, to diversify sources, to improve the functioning of the internal energy market, and to develop energy networks and energy efficiency.

101. The Council supports visa liberalisation for Kosovo and recognises its importance for Kosovo citizens. The Council looks forward to the swift and successful negotiation with the European Parliament regarding the necessary amendments to Regulation (EU) No 2018/1806. 102. The Council encourages Kosovo to make additional efforts to fully implement the legal framework on fundamental rights, in line with European standards, as well as to improve coordination and oversight. More needs to be done notably to ensure the full protection of cultural and religious heritage, the protection of the rights of persons belonging to non- majority communities, including Roma and Ashkali, displaced persons, and LGBTI persons, as well as gender equality in practice. The existing human rights mechanisms need to be further strengthened.

103. On the EU-facilitated Dialogue, the Council welcomes the continuation of the Dialogue and commends the High Representative and the EUSR for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue and other Western Balkan regional issues for their commitment. The Council expects Kosovo to engage in the EU-facilitated Dialogue in good faith and in the spirit of compromise to achieve a comprehensive legally binding agreement with Serbia on normalisation of relations in accordance with international law and EU acquis with no further delay. This agreement should address all outstanding issues and contribute to regional stability. This is crucial so that Kosovo and Serbia can advance on their respective European paths. The Council reiterates its strong expectation that all past agreements are fully respected and implemented without delay, and that the Parties engage constructively to resolve all their bilateral disputes. The Council calls on both parties to refrain from unilateral and provocative actions that could lead to tensions and violence, and from rhetoric that is not conducive to Dialogue. The Council reminds both parties of their shared responsibility to ensure peace and stability.

104. The Council reiterates the importance of and its support for the work of the Kosovo

Specialist Chambers and of the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office. Continued full cooperation by Kosovo to enable them to fulfil their mandate is an important demonstration of Kosovo’s commitment to rule of law and to ending impunity.

105. The Council encourages Kosovo to develop a strategy for transitional justice, including a comprehensive approach for addressing its past. The Council draws attention to the need to progress further in the internal dialogue.

106. The Council recalls the importance of Kosovo’s close cooperation with the EULEX mission, as well as other relevant international actors.

107. The Council recalls the importance of regional cooperation and good neighbourly relations and encourages Kosovo to engage actively and constructively in regional cooperation activities.

At the meeting, the EU expressed its disappointment to Serbia over the step backward it has taken in aligning its positions with those of the bloc on foreign policy and security issues.

“The EU Council deeply regrets Serbia’s backwardness in aligning itself with the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy, especially regarding sanctions against Russia and Belarus, as well as Serbia’s foreign policy actions, which run counter to the EU’s common approach EU,” the report stresses.

They also express the EU’s “great expectation” that Serbia will fulfill its commitments in the framework of negotiations with the EU and strengthen its alignment with the EU’s foreign and security policy.

Serbia is the only country in the Balkans that has not imposed sanctions against Russia over the invasion of Ukraine.

In general, countries in the region were urged to engage even more in regional cooperation, strengthen good neighborliness and reconciliation. /The Geopost/