Growth Plan Summit/ Kurti calls for lifting EU measures against Kosovo

2025-11-21 14:31:00, Politikë CNA

The acting Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, participated today in the European Union Growth Plan summit that took place today in Tirana.

During the summit proceedings, Kurti also delivered his speech, where he first congratulated Albania on opening the last chapter in the integration process.

He further stated that Kosovo is ranked as the safest country in the region, with the lowest crime rate and the greatest progress in fighting corruption, while adding that it has recorded strong economic growth.

During his speech, the acting head of government also addressed the EU's punitive measures against Kosovo, calling for their lifting. He also described the EU's calls for enlargement as a paradox, while according to him, Kosovo's application has been forgotten.

Kurti's full speech:

I would like to begin by congratulating Albania on its progress towards the European Union with the opening of the final chapter, marking the opening of each of the 33 chapters. This is an important achievement.

Since our last meeting in North Macedonia this year, the Berlin Process Summit was held in London, where we supported new achievements and adopted the revised Green Agenda for the Western Balkans.

Last month, the World Justice Project published its rule of law index, which ranked Kosovo third among 15 countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, and second among six countries in the Western Balkans in terms of improvement in the rule of law.

We are ranked as the safest country in the region, with the lowest crime rate and the greatest progress in fighting corruption. We have recorded the strongest economic growth, and after our meeting in July in North Macedonia, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund removed Kosovo from the list of fragile and conflict-affected states.

This internationally verified and evidence-based progress stands in stark contrast to the EU's policy of punitive measures and the lack of progress in granting Kosovo the deserved candidate country status. The EU measures taken against our democratic Republic in the Western Balkans undermine our full alignment with the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy.

This is the last time I will address the EU's punitive measures. They must be lifted completely and completely, as the former High Representative and former EU Vice-President, Josep Borrell, called for last year.

Also, no country in our region has been more prepared at the moment of seeking candidate country status than Kosovo today. To talk about the urgency of (EU) enlargement on the one hand, while leaving Kosovo's application to gather dust for three years on an EU shelf, is, to say the least, a paradox.

I believe it is important to speak openly as we gather to assess the progress of the Growth Plan. We were the first to deliver on the Reform Agenda and somehow, now we are behind in its implementation. And I have welcomed the criticism. We need to be at the forefront of these reforms.

But we are behind not by choice, but by circumstance. Delays in forming a new government after the February elections of this year caused setbacks, yet this was an exercise in democracy, where MPs expressed their free will, where procedures were respected and disputes were resolved in court.

We are now heading towards our third election in a year, which, as the previous two have shown, will be free, fair and competitive, demonstrating the resilience of our democracy and the strength of our institutions. I am confident that these elections will result in a new government that will move quickly to implement the Growth Plan Reform Agenda.

We welcome new initiatives. We also understand that our individual progress towards joining the EU Single Market is closely linked to our collective progress on regional mobility and trade, or, as the Commission would say, Pillar One is linked to Pillar Two of the Growth Plan.

• We do not see any obstacles in the Roaming Roadmap.

• At the last summit in Skopje, we identified three sectors for “nearshore” as part of the Single Market Highway initiative: 1) Information and Communication Technology, 2) Defense, 3) Agriculture.

• The economic transformation of Artificial Intelligence has begun and we must ensure that it is inclusive, ethical and democratic. We lead in digitalization and have high broadband coverage. We also have the lowest electricity prices in the region. These elements - connectivity, affordability and digital readiness - shape the infrastructure of the future, making us a potential powerhouse for the European Union's Artificial Intelligence Factories.

• For our next term, we plan to allocate at least one billion euros per year in capital investments for strategic projects. We have an increasingly strong economic climate. We rank 26th globally and first in the Western Balkans, according to the Henley & Partners Global Investment Risk and Resilience Index. Inspired by the positive reception of the investment conferences in Tirana and Podgorica, we look forward to the opportunity to bring a forum to Pristina as well.

Së fundmi, avancimi i integrimit ekonomik kërkon infrastrukturën në thelb të tij. Një përditësim i Rrjetit Trans-Europian është thelbësor për të siguruar që korridoret rajonale të funksionojnë me efikasitet maksimal. Pozicioni i Kosovës ka rëndësi unike. Ne kemi potencialin për të shërbyer si rruga më e shpejtë brenda rajonit dhe nga rajoni drejt BE-së. Në këtë kontekst, hekurudha Prishtinë-Durrës meriton vëmendje të veçantë. Si një lidhje midis korridoreve 8 dhe 10 të rrjeteve europiane TEN-T, do t'i shërbente lidhjes dhe arkitekturës europiane të transportit.

Mbi progresin e Planit të Rritjes dhe angazhimet tona të përbashkëta:

- Për Korsitë e Gjelbra – Ne mirëpresim përfshirjen e dy pikave doganore më të ngarkuara “Hani i Elezit – Bllacë” si pjesë e nismës Korsitë e Gjelbra dhe Vërmicë/Morinë me Shqipërinë si pjesë e nismës brenda CEFTA-s. Modernizimi i këtyre dy pikave kufitare do të përmirësojë më tej tregtinë.

- Për SEPA-n – Ne kemi dorëzuar të gjitha ligjet e nevojshme si kritere teknike për aplikimin tonë një vit më parë, por ato mbeten nën shqyrtim në Gjykatën tonë Kushtetuese. Kosova i plotëson të gjitha kushtet për t'u bashkuar me SEPA-n, dhe ne do të mirëprisnim shqyrtimin e BE-së në mënyrë që të mund të ecim shpejt sapo gjykata të përfundojë procesin e saj.

- Për nismën WIFI – Pothuajse të gjitha komunat, 33 nga 38, janë përzgjedhur për nismën WIFI4WB. Instalimet pritet të fillojnë në dhjetor, ndërsa vendosja e të gjitha pikave është planifikuar të përfundojë deri në shkurt.

- Për Portofolin Digjital – kemi nisur pilotimin e parë për sistemin tonë kombëtar të identifikimit elektronik, portofolin elektronik të Kosovës, i modeluar sipas Portofolit Digjital të Identitetit të BE-së. Ofron autentifikim elektronik, nënshkrime, vula dhe një portofol digjital.

- Mbi Marrëveshjen për Pranimin e Vlerësimit të Konformitetit – produktet e akredituara dhe të shënuara në përputhje me rregulloren e BE-së duhet të pranohen brenda Gjashtë Vendeve të Ballkanit Perëndimor (BP6).

Dosjet e Shtyllës së Parë ofrojnë anëtarësim dhe bashkëpunim me agjencitë e BE-së dhe organe të tjera që lidhen me turizmin, aleancën mjekësore, Autostradën e Tregut Unik, ACAA-në dhe mbrojtjen e konsumatorit.

Qasja e barabartë dhe partneriteti simetrik me këto mekanizma janë thelbësore për të gjithë anëtarët e BP6 për të përfituar nga Tregu i Përbashkët Rajonal dhe Tregu Unik i BE-së. Në këtë drejtim, ne përballemi me pengesa strukturore për anëtarësim në këto agjenci dhe organe. Një e tillë e rëndësishme është Konventa e Transitit të Përbashkët (CTC). Ne aplikuam për anëtarësim në Konventën e Transitit të Përbashkët në vitin 2015. Më shumë se një dekadë pritjeje pa një vendim për aplikimin tonë pasqyron një ritëm të ngadaltë të vendimmarrjes.

Mbi Shtyllën e Dytë (Tregu i Përbashkët Rajonal):

We have signed five mobility agreements, however, after three years, they remain unimplemented. Since the blockades in the implementation of the Agreement on Higher Education Institutions (HEI), I tasked our SHERPA to actively pursue a solution. It is regrettable that our efforts and readiness have not been followed by the other side. The status quo on this issue cannot stand. This agreement, together with the Agreement on Access to Study and the decision on work permits and the CEFTA Decision on the Recognition of Professional Qualifications, is essential for the mobility of students and workers, without which we cannot achieve a common regional market.

I welcome the Commission's recent engagement on this issue and encourage you to work with the SHERPAs in resolving issues related to the implementation of the achievements of the Regional Common Market.

In our first direct CEFTA chairmanship, we are showing leadership and delivering benefits for all CEFTA countries. We elected a CEFTA Director after a two-year deadlock that put at risk a €7 million EU grant. We have adopted decisions to deepen trade and we expect major decisions, such as the Recognition of Trust Services, on the Recognition of Professional Qualifications and the Risk Management Strategy, to be adopted this December in Pristina during CEFTA Week.

Finally, while I always enjoy being in Tirana, I would welcome it if the next summit were held in Pristina. /CNA