Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti announced on Tuesday that his country will submit a formal application for European Union membership this week.
Kurti said, during a cabinet meeting, that Kosovo ranks first in the region in terms of rule of law, freedom and democracy.
“We are entering a new phase in our relations with the European Union. This is in line with the wishes of our citizens, who firmly believe that our future lies in the European Union, as well as democratic countries with which we share common values such as freedom, democracy, equality and the rule of law,” added the Kosovar Prime Minister.
He continued, “It is time for Kosovo to transform its status from a potential candidate to an official candidate for accession to the European Union.”
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Kosovo is the last country in the Western Balkans to apply for membership in the European Union.
Serbia called on European countries that do not recognize Kosovo to reject the latter’s application for membership in the European Union.
Kosovo, whose majority population is Albanian, seceded from Serbia in 1999 and declared its independence from it in 2008, but Belgrade still considers it part of its territory and supports a Serb minority in it.