site.btaPresident Radev Mеets with Kosovo Prime Minister Kurti

President Rumen Radev met with Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti here on Monday. During the meeting, Radev said that Bulgaria consistently supports the efforts of the Republic of Kosovo to deepen the country's integration into European structures and the international community. This will contribute to guaranteeing stability and security not only in the Western Balkans, but also in Europe, he added, quoted by the presidential press centre.

During the conversation, Radev and Kurti welcomed the strengthening of the political dialogue between Bulgaria and Kosovo at the highest level. The two discussed opportunities for deepening bilateral cooperation with a focus on promoting ties between businesses from the two countries. Radev expressed satisfaction that after Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani-Sadriu visited Bulgaria in 2022 and his visit to Pristina in 2023, progress has been achieved on bilateral agreements in various sectors of mutual interest.

The Bulgarian President welcomed the commitment of the Kosovo authorities to grant status to the Bulgarian community in Kosovo. It is extremely important to legislate mechanisms that allow the citizens of Kosovo who identify as Bulgarian to preserve and express their identity, as well as to freely exercise their civil rights, said Radev.

The European integration of Kosovo and the implementation of reforms to strengthen democratic and modern institutions are important not only for the citizens of Kosovo, but will also give a strong positive signal to the Western Balkans,  Radev pointed out. He stressed that in the context of the acceleration of the EU enlargement process, Kosovo should not remain in the background and the progress reported by the country should be motivated.

Prime Minister Kurti thanked Radev for Bulgaria's consistent position on the country's European path, including support for membership in the Council of Europe.