Prishtina, 14 December 2023
The first Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration, Development and Dialogue of the Republic of Kosovo, Besnik Bislimi, hosted the Ambassador of Belgium, Gregoire Cuvelier.
In the meeting, the strong bilateral relations and the continuous support of Belgium for the Republic of Kosovo were underlined. The conversation between the parties touched on key areas of common interest, emphasizing the commitment to further strengthening the ties between the two countries.
Deputy Prime Minister Bislimi expressed his gratitude especially for Belgium’s decision to raise the diplomatic representation in Kosovo to the embassy level, as well as the appointment of the first resident ambassador, Mr. Gregoire Cuvelier.
Next, it was emphasized that from January 1 to June 30, 2024, Belgium will hold the presidency of the Council of the European Union. The Deputy Prime Minister highlighted this as an opportunity for deepening the cooperation between the two countries regarding the European integration of Kosovo.
He added that the membership of the Western Balkan countries in the European Union is of geostrategic importance. Almost a year has already passed since our country’s application for membership in the EU, where Kosovo seeks progress in this direction and obtaining the status of a candidate country.
In this prism, Kosovo’s progress should be evaluated based on the maturity of our institutions and through a merit-based process, where we have continuously proven that our country belongs to the European family and should advance further in the journey towards the EU. In the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Bislimi emphasized the commitment and objective of Kosovo for membership in the Council of Europe. Furthermore, he informed the Belgian ambassador about the developments related to the dialogue process.
Last modified: January 23, 2024
