BRUSSELS, Dec 29 (KUNA) -- The European Union (EU) on Monday urged Kosovo to swiftly form a new government following the results of the early parliamentary elections held over the weekend, which led to caretaker Prime Minister Albin Kurtiآ’s party securing a sufficient number of votes.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said in a statement on behalf of the Union that "after the political stalemate following the February 2025 elections, we look forward to the swift formation of the new Assembly and Government and to continuing our engagement with the authorities." Kallas stressed that "the new government should redouble its efforts on much needed EU-related reforms." She noted that the people of Kosovo exercised their democratic right on Sunday by participating in the early parliamentary elections, adding that the European Union welcomed the active participation of all communities and their political parties in the electoral process.
Kallas affirmed that the electoral process demonstrated a strong commitment to democratic principles, pointing out that the European Union had deployed an Expert Electoral Mission, which will remain in Kosovo to follow post electoral procedures.
She called on the newly formed parliament to ratify the agreements related to the Growth Plan, explaining that the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans is a time limited instrument for the 2024-2027 period, and that it is in Kosovoآ’s interest for ratification to take place as soon as possible in order to fully benefit from the opportunities offered by the plan for its population.
Kallas stressed that the EU facilitated normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia remains the only way for both sides to achieve progress on their European paths, expressing expectations that all obligations stemming from the Agreement on the Path to Normalisation, as well as all previous dialogue agreements, be implemented "without further delays or preconditions".
She confirmed the European Unionآ’s readiness to host a high-level meeting once conditions allow.
Kallas also noted that the EU is moving forward to lift measures on Kosovo, pointing out that 216 million euros in financial assistance had already been released following the orderly transfer of local governance after the recent local elections, with an additional 205 million euros expected to be released early next year. (end) arn.mt