Kosovo will submit an application for European Union membership this week, but the accession process may take decades and depends on the settlement of relations with Serbia, Reuters writes.
Kosovo, whose majority of the population is ethnic Albanians, declared independence from Serbia in 2008 with the support of Western countries. It has not been recognized by several countries, including five European Union members, China, Russia, and Serbia.
Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti told at the government meeting in Pristina:
«The European Union is a place of peace, security, equality, and prosperity and that’s why the Republic of Kosovo’s place is in this joint house as a country that loves peace.»
For membership in the European Union to be possible, Kosovo must first achieve normalization of relations with Serbia. The European Union is currently preparing an agreement to be approved by both countries.
After the incident with Kosovo police on the 10th of December, Serb protesters blocked major roads in northern Kosovo, and tensions between the authorities and the Serb minority are rising.
There is no consensus on enlargement in the European Union, but Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has led to an increased focus on improving relations with the countries of the Balkan region. Until now, Kosovo was the only country in the region that had not submitted an application for membership in the European Union.
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