Osmani: It is time for the Western Balkans to be seen as potential and not as a burden

2025-10-23 19:22:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Osmani: It is time for the Western Balkans to be seen as potential and not as a

The President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, said that it is time for the Western Balkans region to be seen by the European Union as potential and not as a burden.

During a conversation at a university in Berlin, Osmani said that the EU enlargement process should be seen as a strategic necessity of the European bloc itself and not depend on the political issues that individual states have.

"I think enlargement should be seen from a broader perspective. If you look at the Western Balkans as a region, I think it's time for us to see ourselves as potential and not as a burden," Osmani said.

She was asked about a recently presented proposal that new member states could be admitted, but would not have full rights, and whether she supports the removal of veto power within the EU Council.

She said she favors this because, she added, "we have often seen when one member state blocks the will of the entire EU."

The President of Kosovo said that the EU should see the Western Balkans as potential, as the region, according to her, offers three important potentials: human, economic and security potential.

"The more our region moves towards the EU, the more peace and security there will be. And this is good for the entire EU and the continent," Osmani said.

President Osmani said that she has always supported the enlargement process being based on merit and that countries should align their foreign and security policies with those of the EU. Kosovo, she said, has aligned its policy 100 percent, citing sanctions against Russia due to the war in Ukraine.

However, she said that there are countries in the region that do not act this way - a reference to Serbia, which despite supporting United Nations resolutions condemning Russian aggression in Ukraine, refuses to impose sanctions on Moscow.

"You can't sit on two chairs at once, there shouldn't be a gray area," Osmani advised.

Of the Balkan countries, only Kosovo is behind on the European path, as it is the only country that does not even have candidate country status.

Pristina submitted its application for EU membership in December 2022. However, this application has not yet even passed the first formal phase, that of review by the EU Council and then sending it for opinion to the European Commission.

During the lecture at this university, but also in the conversation that followed, Osmani repeated the accusations that Russia is attempting to undermine democracies in Europe.

"Serbia, Russia's collaborator, constantly attempts to undermine Kosovo's sovereignty through destabilization, disinformation, and supporting criminal and terrorist groups," Osmani said./ Rel