Kosovo officially applies for EU membership "in symbolic act"

Kosovo has officially applied for membership in the European Union after the signing of a corresponding document by President Vjosa Osmani, Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Parliamentary Speaker Glauk Konjufca in the capital Pristina.

For Europe’s youngest state, Wednesday’s act was rather symbolic: EU membership is currently out of reach for the country, which has been independent since 2008.

The main obstacle is that five EU member states – Spain, Romania, Slovakia, Greece and Cyprus – do not recognise Kosovo’s independence.