Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti met with French Minister for European Affairs Benjamin Haddad on the sidelines of the Berlin Process summit in London, the newspaper „Koha Ditore“ reports, quoted by BTA.
During the conversation, Kurti stressed the importance of France's role in Europe's security and its contribution to stability in the Western Balkans. He also emphasized the need for Kosovo to receive the EU membership questionnaire and official candidate status for membership.
A statement from the Prime Minister's Office states that during the meeting the two discussed the deepening of bilateral relations, security issues, regional development and Kosovo's European integration process. Kurti thanked Haddad for France's continued support and stressed that shared values create opportunities to expand and strengthen the partnership between the two countries.
On the sidelines of the same meeting, the prime minister also met with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, with whom he discussed issues related to security and migration. Kosovo also confirmed that it was considering the possibility of building return centers for asylum seekers rejected by the UK.
During his speech at the summit, Kurti said that Serbia, which he described as “hostile to Kosovo“, should not act with impunity. According to him, this sends a signal that attacks on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Kosovo can go unpunished.
He recalled the armed attack in Banska in September 2023, in which a Kosovo policeman was killed. On September 24, about 30 armed Serbs attacked Kosovo police in the village of Banska do Zvečan, killing one police officer and three attackers. Kosovo called the incident a "terrorist attack" and blamed Belgrade, which denied involvement.
Milan Radojčić, former deputy chairman of the Kosovo Serb party "Serb List", which has the support of official Belgrade, claimed responsibility for the attack. Radojčić was arrested in Serbia and released a day later. Interpol issued an international arrest warrant for him, and the Kosovo prosecutor's office has also indicted 45 other people. Kosovo is demanding that he be extradited and tried in Pristina.
Serbia does not recognize Kosovo's independence, which was declared in 2008, and the two countries are engaged in EU-mediated dialogue to normalize relations.