Kosovos Accession To EU To Prove Complicated As Republic Lacks Recognition

The accession of the breakaway Republic of Kosovo to the European Union will be a lengthy and complex process, given that five member states have not yet recognized its sovereignty, an EU source told Sputnik.

The Kosovar authorities signed an EU membership application at a solemn ceremony on Wednesday.

"When it comes to applications by countries to join the EU, there is a specific procedure that should be followed, and Kosovo is no exemption to this. However, in this case, there are many different parameters that the EU institutions should take into account, as Kosovo is not recognized by five EU member states. And this aspect will complicate the process," the source said.

The bloc will consider Pristina's application, but any further steps in the EU-Kosovo relations can be made only with the unanimous consent of all member states, the EU source explained.

"The fact that five member states are not recognizing the country is something that needs to be resolved for advancing to the next steps.

So this might be a lengthy process and quite demanding when it comes to proceeding to the next steps, but for sure, applying for EU membership is a very positive first step," the source added.