Josep Borrell, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, welcomed on Tuesday 4 February, the vote by the Kosovo Assembly the day before confirming the new government led by Prime Minister Albin Kurti.
In Kosovo, on 30 January, he had called for the rapid formation of a government (see EUROPE 12415/19), after elections in October 2018.
"There is a lot of work ahead for the new government to implement the provisions of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement and the European Reform Agenda and to promote the Rule of law and socio-economic development", Borrell warned. For this, the country will not be alone. The High Representative pledged the EU's readiness to assist Pristina in its reform agenda and to continue its support for strengthening the Rule of law, improving public administration and creating jobs and growth.
Furthermore, according to Mr Borrell, regional cooperation must be enhanced, as well as good neighbourly relations. He therefore hoped for a swift resumption of dialogue with Serbia. "The current status quo is not tenable. There is no alternative to a rapid resumption of the normalisation talks", he insisted.
Moreover, while the challenges facing Pristina were "significant, so is Kosovo's potential", the High Representative said. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)