Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti was received in Dublin by his Irish counterpart, Micheál Martin, on the sidelines of the European Political Community (EPC) summit.

Speaking to the media after the meeting, Kurti said Kosovo's strategic goals remain membership in the European Union and NATO, stressing that obtaining EU candidate status and opening accession negotiations are the first steps towards achieving them.

He said Kosovo counts on Ireland's support during its presidency of the Council of the European Union to advance the country's European integration process.

“The Republic of Kosovo also wants to join the European Union and NATO, but to get there, we must first obtain candidate country status and open membership negotiations. We count on the Irish presidency,” Kurti said.

The Prime Minister thanked the Irish people for hosting more than 1,000 Kosovo Albanian refugees in 1999, when they were forced to flee Kosovo amid crimes committed by Serbian forces.

He also expressed gratitude to Irish soldiers and officers who have served as part of the NATO-led KFOR mission for more than 25 years, contributing to security and peace in Kosovo.

Commenting on the importance of the European Political Community summit, Kurti said cooperation and coordination among European leaders were particularly important amid Russia's ongoing aggression against Ukraine.

He also referred to attacks on critical infrastructure and hybrid warfare, noting that such meetings provide an opportunity for participating countries to coordinate their positions and strengthen cooperation.