Kosovo President Hashim Thaci has requested from European Union to have a more strategic approach toward Western Balkans, especially Kosovo, his official website said.

 Kosovo Presidency said that President Thaci met with European Commissioner for Enlargement, Johannes Hahn, European Commissioner for Migration, Internal Affairs and Citizenship, Dimitris Avramopoulos, the President of Slovenia, Barut Pahor, in the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference that is being held in Germany.

At these meetings, regional issues, Euro-Atlantic agenda of the Republic of Kosovo and visa liberalization for Kosovo citizens were discussed.  

President Thaçi was one of about 500 world leaders to attend this conference, which in the past five decades has turned into an important gathering for the international strategic community.

Since its establishment in 1963 under the name “Internationale Wehrkunde-Begegnung” the Munich Security Conference has been an independent forum dedicated to the promotion of peaceful solutions to conflicts, as well as international cooperation and dialogue.

The Munich Security Conference opens today on February 17 and will last until Sunday, February 19, 2017. 

 Among the others, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, U.S. vice President Mike Pence, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, the EU representative, Federica Mogherini, and the NATO Secretary, Jens Stoltenberg participated the security conference.

Kosovo has declared its independence in 2008 and since then has been recognized from 113 countries worldwide. Despite the progress made, only Kosovo citizens in Western Balkans are being requested a visa when travelling to the Schengen Zone.

The country is totally orientated towards EU and is struggling to establish the army aiming to join NATO. /tvklan.al