The Foreign Secretary William Hague met President Jahjaga of Kosovo on 28 October.

Speaking after the meeting, the Foreign Secretary welcomed the opening of EU Stabilisation & Association Agreement negotiations with Kosovo:

I am delighted that Kosovo is starting its negotiations on a Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with the EU today. The SAA will be a wide-ranging agreement between the EU and Kosovo, covering political, social and economic cooperation. As I told President Jahjaga this afternoon, this is a historic moment for Kosovo: the first major landmark on its EU track. We were pleased that Kosovo was able to meet the conditions for SAA negotiations this year. I hope Kosovo will tackle the issues identified in this year’s Progress Report with the same determination; progress on domestic reforms should bring benefits to all citizens across Kosovo.

The UK continues to stand firmly behind Kosovo on her path towards EU membership. I remain a long-standing supporter of enlargement of the EU, which will help deliver stability, security and prosperity for the Western Balkans.

Further information

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