Spain’s Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares has not clarified Monday whether he will support Kosovo’s imminent application to join the European Union, after Pristina announced that it will apply to join the European bloc before the end of the year.
In a press conference from Brussels after the meeting of European foreign ministers, Albares avoided advancing Spain’s position, assuring that it is «political fiction» despite the fact that the issue may arrive this week, coinciding with the last summit of EU leaders in 2022.
«If that request arrives it will be the moment to take the decisions that have to be taken, I do not like to make politics fiction and at the moment that is not on the table,» said the Spanish minister, in a statement after Serbia has asked the EU countries that do not recognize the independence of Kosovo to block its access to the community club.
Belgrade on Monday called on EU countries that do not recognize Kosovo, including Spain, to block an imminent accession request that could arrive as early as this week. Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti had already expressed in summer his willingness to formally request entry into the community bloc, an idea that was put back on the table by President Vjosa Osmani, coinciding with last week’s meeting in Tirana (Albania) between leaders of the EU and the Balkans.
This Monday, the Serbian Foreign Minister, Ivica Dacic, has anticipated this potential request asking for the collaboration of the Czech Republic, as the rotating president of the Council, and also of Spain, Greece, Cyprus, Romania and Slovakia, given that they are the countries that have not recognized the independence declared by Kosovo in 2008 unilaterally, according to the Tanjug agency.
EU CALLS FOR KOSOVO BARRIERS TO BE REMOVED The meeting of foreign ministers of the bloc came at a time of heightened tensions between Belgrade and Pristina over the situation in northern Kosovo with roadblocks and barricades set up by Kosovo Serbs in protest against the arrest of a former police officer.
In this regard, the EU High Representative for Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell, has called on the Kosovo Serbs to withdraw the barricades, stating that the EU is ready to reinforce the EULEX mission. «This situation has to end. The barricades have to be withdrawn and calm has to be restored,» he stressed.
In his opinion, this escalation confirms the «worrying spiral» in which Kosovo and Serbia are immersed with «harmful consequences» for their citizens and assured that the violent altercations and the attack against EULEX with a stun grenade is «unacceptable» and an incident that is not to be expected from partners aspiring to be part of the EU.
In this regard, Albares insisted that Spain «will always favor the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina», indicating that this initiative is very important for the stability of the Balkans, pointing out that the crises regarding Kosovo are «too repetitive».
