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Foreign Minister Schallenberg Continues Western Balkan Trip in Kosovo

AUSTRIA, June 13 - Following his visit to Serbia, Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg travelled to Kosovo on 14 June 2022, where he was welcomed by Kosovan President Vjosa Osmani-Sadriu. After this start to the visit, Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg met with his counterpart Donika Gërvalla-Schwarz and Prime Minister Albin Kurti for official meetings. The trip concluded with a visit to the Austrian KFOR contingent. In addition to the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine and the EU enlargement process, normalising relations between Kosovo and Serbia was a major focus of the talks. 

The Belgrade-Priština dialogue is like the eye of a needle that the entire region needs to pass through. Yesterday in Belgrade, I already appealed to each party’s sense of responsibility and willingness to compromise in order to make concrete progress as quickly as possible towards normalising their relations, with the help of Miroslav Lajčák’s mediation efforts. There is no other alternative,

said Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg. 

Austria has always actively supported Kosovo on its path towards joining the European Union. Especially against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine, Austria now hopes to accelerate this process. 

It is well known that I am going into a region here that is very important to us in Austria. We need to be aware that Moscow has the ability to destabilise it without ever firing a shot, 

said Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg. 

Its support for the EU sanctions regarding Russia is clear evidence that Kosovo stands behind European core values. Now the EU must also fulfil its promises. For instance, Kosovo citizens’ ability to enter the EU without a visa must become a reality as quickly as possible.   

There is no reason to treat the citizens of Kosovo any differently. The question of liberalisation is a key issue for establishing EU credibility. The EU must put its money where its mouth is and show that it keeps its promises,

emphasised Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg in Priština. 

Their outstanding bilateral relations have a long tradition, dating back well before the time when Austria was one of the first states to acknowledge Kosovan independence. Their close collaboration ranges from education programs for young Kosovans to economic partnerships. This year’s Kosovan-Austrian Economic Forum, which was held in Priština this April, is a yardstick for quality and innovative power, which is especially important for Austria as the country’s fourth-largest investor. 

A visit to the KFOR and a meeting with Colonel Franz Sitzwohl, Commander of the Austrian contingent, as well as with members of the Austrian armed forces, concluded the trip. Austria has supported the peace mission since 1999 as a way to help stabilise the region, and with a total of 284 soldiers, it is the largest supplier of troops from a non-aligned country. 

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