EU Enlargement Commissioner Štefan Füle said Tuesday in Pristina that the formal negotiations for a Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the EU and Kosovo had been concluded, adding that key priorities for further Kosovo’s EU integrations are to continue dialogue with Serbia, to hold free and fair general elections and continue work on the rule of law.

Füle said he discussed with his interlocutors in Priština three key issues on the EU-Kosovo agenda this year: the need to continue the normalisation process with Serbia; the conduct of the general elections; the need to continue work on the rule of law and other key areas of reform identified in our Feasibility Study and also in the last Progress Report.

“It is essential Kosovo keeps up the good work in its efforts to normalise relations with Serbia. The key is to continue implementing all Dialogue agreements and being able to offer all ethnic communities a stake in Kosovo’s collective future,” Füle said after meeting Kosovo President Atifete Jahjaga and Prime Minister  Hashim Thaçi.

“We also discussed the next steps for the SAA. I would like to praise the professional and efficient manner in which the negotiations were conducted. The draft text will now be discussed with Member States. I hope it will be initialed this summer,” he said.

Addressing the National Council for European Integration Füle recalled that the EU has identified the rule of law and overcoming the legacy of the past as key priorities in last year’s Enlargement Strategy.

“I should also like to take this opportunity to salute and commend you for your political courage and maturity as shown on 23 April. Kosovo’s agreement to the new EULEX mandate and the establishment of the Special Court is a key step in Kosovo’s EU-progress and a true statement to the world. It says that Kosovo is open, that it has nothing to hide and that it is not afraid of the past. It is also a marker of Kosovo’s faith in the rule of law,” he said.

Speaking about forthcoming elections in Kosovo, Füle said that “it is of critical importance for Kosovo’s EU future that the elections take place in accordance with international standards, that the process is efficient and that any irregularities are swiftly dealt with. I hope that the positive experience with the recent local elections will serve as inspiration.”