“Kosovo can learn from
EU how to move on from the past”
Alison Weston, the ICO Chief of Staff gave a lecture today
at the secondary school Luciano Matroni in Prizren. She
explained to the children the origins of the European Union
and what the idea behind it was. War was a means of solving
problems among old European countries for a very long time,
she said, but 65 years ago they saw the economic interest of
working together and it helped them think about solving
their problems with peaceful means.
Students were mostly interested in the
prospects of Kosovo becoming a member in EU family. “What
does Kosovo need to do to enter the EU?” asked one student.
Alison Weston explained that the country should as a first
step meet the basic criteria: be located in Europe
geographically and respect the principles of liberty,
democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental
freedoms, as well as the rule of law and then there are more
detailed and complex criteria, called Copenhagen Criteria.
She acknowledged that the path to EU is long and challenging
but stated that Kosovo should look forward not only to
integration but also to the process of meeting all these
criteria.
“I know what you have been through and
all the things you have suffered in the past, but it is up
to you to decide what you want to do about it! Whether you
want to move on towards a better perspective for you all or
want to be stuck in the past”, she said.