Germany will further strengthen ties with Kosovo, supports visa liberalization, Baerbock said in Pristina
Germany will further strengthen ties with Kosovo, supports visa liberalization, Baerbock said in Pristina
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock promised to strengthen bilateral ties with Kosovo and liberalize visas for its citizens. She said that Kosovo has fulfilled all the requirements for visas and the EU should grant them as well. “Germany is working to realize it”, said Baerbock during a press conference in Pristina together with Prime Minister Albin Kurti, reports Gazeta Express.
Baerbock also praised Kosovo’s active participation in aligning its actions with those of the West in condemning Russia’s aggression in Ukraine and imposing sanctions. “Russian President Putin bombs children’s hospitals while claiming he is ready to negotiate peace. This is pure cynicism. The unity of the international community remains essential. I appreciate the active participation of Kosovo from the beginning”, she said.
Baerbock also said that it is important that Kosovo and Serbia sit down at the negotiating table and discuss the normalization of relations. The German Foreign Minister stated that before Kosovo’s membership in the EU, the country must obtain candidate status, and on the eve of that is the Dialogue with Serbia. She said that Germany supports the EU and its Special Representative for Dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak, in facilitating these talks.
Kosovo Prime Minister Kurti thanked Baerbock for Germany’s continuous support over the years and for its principled approach to the Western Balkans region. He said that the Kosovo diaspora in Germany serves as a bridge between our people and our economies, bringing investments that strengthen our relations. “Kosovo is a reliable partner and proud friend of Germany”, he said.
Alongside Kurti, the German Foreign Minister Baerbock, accompanied by the German envoy for the Western Balkans, Manuel Sarrazin, was received by the President of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani and the Foreign Minister Donika Gervalla. Minister Baerbock will inaugurate on Friday the wind park, which was established with the support of Germany and represents the largest direct foreign investment in Kosovo to date, the German Embassy in Pristina has announced. /Express newspaper/