Two years ago, Prime Minister Albin Kurti submitted to the Czech Presidency of the Council of the European Union Kosovo's application for accession to the great European family.

On December 15, 2022, Kurti held separate meetings with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jan Lipavsky, and the Minister of European Affairs, Mikulas Bek, in Prague.

The application submission ceremony was accompanied by a joint conference of Prime Minister Kurti and Minister Bek.

The heads of state of Kosovo have considered this as a historical moment that paves the way for the beginning of the process of membership and integration of the country in the EU.

After the application, Kosovo must go through three main stages - obtaining candidate status, membership negotiations and treaty ratification.

Candidate status is granted by unanimous decision of the European Council. The Council and the candidate country must agree on the framework for accession negotiations.

Membership negotiations begin after the candidate country adapts its laws to EU acquis rules. Negotiations officially end after each of the 35 chapters of the acquis is unanimously closed.

An accession treaty is signed by the candidate country and the EU, with the consent of the European Council, the European Commission and the European Parliament, and later ratified by the candidate country and the 27 EU member states separately when it becomes binding.