Prishtinë, 24 janar 2023
Më poshtë, fjala e plotë e zëvendëskryeministrit Bislimi në konferencën e përbashkët për media me Ministrin për Çështje Evropiane të Republikës së Çekisë, Martin Dvorak, në gjuhën angleze:
Dear Minister Dvořák, dear friend Dvořák,
Dear ambassadors of Kosova in the Czech Republic and Czech ambassador in Prishtina,
Dear media representatives,
It is an honor and pleasure to host yet again in Kosova, the Minister for European Affairs of Czech Republic, Mr. Dvořák, after receiving him as a Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs in May 2022. Dear Minister, dear friend of Kosova, welcome back.
This visit reflects the excellent relations between our two countries, and comes right after our common success of the enforcement of visa-free travel for Kosova citizens as of 1st January.
We have shared a lot of historical momentums and successes with the Czech Government. It was during the Czech Presidency of the European Council, that the decision on Visa Liberalization for Kosova got prioritized leading to an ultimate political decision being taken in December of 2022. On the very same month, on December 15th of 2022, again in Prague, Prime Minister Kurti officially submitted Kosovo’s application for membership in the European Union.
Our work, combined with Czech Republic’s partnership, brought tangible results to the benefit of our citizens. I re-emphasize my gratitude to Mr. Dvořák for the continuous support, his support but also of the Czech Republic, on the EU integration process and membership in the Council of Europe, but also practical support within the V4 group and the contribution in KFOR and our security.
Due to this excellent cooperation, we have also upgraded the representation to ambassador’s level, with full rights.
In addition, I informed today Mr. Dvořák about the reforms that my country plans to undertake as part of the Growth Plan initiative of the EU. Reforms which ultimately embrace a vision where we relentlessly work towards the EU, its values, and the Single Market, in a process where we believe everything will be merit based.
In this context, we also discussed the current measures against the Republic of Kosova that work against the efforts of the EU to close the convergence gap and accelerate EU integration.
It is our firm position that measures should be removed as soon as possible, but most importantly the dialogue process must be decoupled from Kosova’s integration process, so that the focus is reverted to advancing our European aspirations as a country. Kosova has 94% citizens support for the integration in the EU. And we believe that Kosova more than deserves to have the European Commission questionnaire and obtain the EU candidate status.
To conclude, let me reiterate that we cherish this excellent cooperation and highly appreciate the significant contribution that the Czech Republic has carried out in assisting Kosova’s progress in key processes. This serves as a testament of our firm relationship, built on our shared commitment to democracy, human rights and the rule of law.
Dear friend, dear Mr. Dvořák, Kosova is delighted to have you here in Prishtina today, empowering the message of appreciation for your country’s support towards our country, and our EU integration path.
Thank you again!
Last modified: 25 Janar, 2024
