Kosovo’s path to the EU : How to overcome the impasse?

06 October 2023 - In-Person Policy Briefing

Speaker: Besnik Bislimi, First Deputy Prime Minister of Kosovo for European Integration, Development and Dialogue

Moderator: Berta López Domènech, Junior Policy Analyst, European Policy Centre

Kosovo applied for EU membership in December 2022. Yet, over the past year, tensions have repeatedly escalated in the north of Kosovo, causing a deterioration of the relations with Serbia. This has not only precluded Kosovo and Serbia’s progress on the EU path but created a serious security crisis for the Western Balkans and the EU. The EU-facilitated dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia has not managed to defuse the tensions, and it is now at a point of stagnation.

This in-person Policy Briefing with the First Deputy Prime Minister Besnik Bislimi presented Kosovo’s perspective on the current situation and its prospects for a future in the EU.