Taoiseach to meet Irish soldiers in Kosovo as he begins three-country visit

On Friday, he will visit Northern Macedonia to meet Prime Minister Dimitar Kovačevski and President Stevo Pendarovski.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar will meet with Irish soldiers in Kosovo on Thursday as he begins a three-country visit to the western Balkans.

While in Kosovo, Mr Varadkar will meet Irish Defence Forces members serving with the KFOR Kosovo mission, as well as Garda and civilian experts working with the EU’s EULEX Rule of Law Mission in the country.

During the visit, the Taoiseach is meeting the Presidents and Prime Ministers of Kosovo, Montenegro and North Macedonia, to discuss their applications for EU membership along with local and regional security issues.

During his visit today to the Kosovan capital Pristina, the Taoiseach will be briefed on the work of KFOR by Mission Deputy Commander General Federico Bernacca, and will meet with Head of the EULEX Mission, Giovanni Pietro Barbano. He will meet with Irish personnel serving with both missions.

He will then meet Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti, and President Vjosa Osmani-Sadriu before travelling to Montenegro to meet Prime Minister Milojko Spajić, and President Jakov Milatović.

On Friday, he will visit Northern Macedonia to meet Prime Minister Dimitar Kovačevski and President Stevo Pendarovski.

Ireland has long advocated for countries in the Western Balkans to aim for full EU membership, and the Taoiseach’s discussions with political leaders will focus on the reforms required to join the Union.

He is also expected to raise peace and security challenges in the Western Balkans, global issues such as Russia’s war on Ukraine, the situation in Gaza, and ways to strengthen bilateral ties between Ireland and the Western Balkans.

Ahead of his visit the Taoiseach said:

“I am pleased that my first overseas visit of the year is to our partners in the Western Balkans. It is a great honour as Taoiseach to be able to thank the Irish Defence Forces personnel in KFOR and their Garda and civilian colleagues in EULEX for their vital work, and to say how proud we are of their role in a fragile region. We also think of our peacekeepers with UNIFIL in Lebanon, and UNDOF in Syria, and the long and distinguished Irish record of UN peacekeeping.

“The future of Kosovo, Montenegro, and North Macedonia lies within the EU, and I know that all three countries are committed to implementing the necessary reforms. I look forward to discussing how we in Ireland, and our partners across Europe, can help these three countries to achieve full EU membership. I will particularly encourage the leaders of Kosovo to focus their efforts on normalising relations with Serbia, under the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue, which is essential for their path to EU membership.”