Brussels, 02/07/2013 (Agence Europe) - During his visit to Kosovo on 1 July, Herman Van Rompuy, welcomed the European Council's decision of 28 June to open negotiations for a stabilisation and association agreement (SAA). This agreement “will anchor Kosovo firmly in its EU integration process”, he said. “Pleased” that the negotiating mandate is “ambitious”, Van Rompuy said that it would enable Pristina “to establish a political dialogue with the European Union and to progress with reforms on justice, on the fight against corruption, freedom and security, economic and trade policies as well as cooperation in a whole range of other areas”. The agreement covers 45 concrete domains. Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy Stefan Füle hopes that the negotiations will begin after the summer so that they can be finalised before the end of October 2014.
“Kosovo has taken a big step on its path towards the European Union. Your country has worked hard to meet the expectations of EU governments and institutions, and it has delivered”, Van Rompuy told Kosovo's Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi, adding that all the member states unanimously (thus including the five that do not recognise the independence of Kosovo) commend Pristina for its work. Van Rompuy said he was impressed by the ongoing work on the visa roadmap, stating that he was convinced that if the efforts to implement this roadmap continue, the visa obligation for Kosovans entering the EU will be lifted.
Van Rompuy also spoke of the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, reiterating that the dialogue must now be implemented. “Reconciliation is much more than just forgiving and forgetting. It is an active work of will. And in your case, the path ahead will be demanding, sometimes daunting, but the reward will be at the measure of your effort”, Van Rompuy said. (CG/transl.fl)