Hahn urges pressure on opposition to vote on demarcation

European Integration Minister Litera Hoxha said before members of the Commission for Integration that on her visit to Brussels, she has received clear messages from Commissioner Johannes Hahn that the demarcation agreement with Montenegro be ratified in the Kosovo Assembly, so that the last condition for visa liberalisation can be met.

She even added that Hahn has called for increasing civic pressure on the opposition and the Assembly for ratification of demarcation.

A question I accepted from Hahn was also the demarcation and remaining visa liberalisation criteria. And it has been required that the remaining criteria for visa liberalisation be met, the demarcation agreement with Montenegro be ratified. Also, an issue that has been outlined with Commissioner Hahn has been to increase pressure from citizens on the opposition or on the Assembly for not ratifying this”, Hoxha said.

Hoxha added she has also informed about the new government's steps about demarcation, but their demand has been strict, proceeding with the current agreement in the Parliament and adopting it just before the elections.

She stressed that even at the meeting with EU official Dimitris Avramupolus it has been highlighted by the latter that the demarcation must be ratified in order to have visa liberalisation for Kosovo citizens.

Hoxha to the members of the Commission also presented the latest report of the recorded performance of high-level judgments.

“37 cases, of which 29 have biases and mean levels, is the minister of the MSH, another minister, is the leader of the OSHP, three secretaries, four mayors, former rector, former president of the JPC, a member of the Assembly, a member of the Court and a prosecutor of the serious crimes department. We have a total of ten court decisions, complete at first level, we have three cases, we have five cases, and we have heard the first 21 cases, so there is progress”, Hoxha said.

Hoxha also spoke of implementing the SAA, where she said there is progress in this direction because for two years they have managed to implement 34 per cent and seeing that SAA implementation has ten years of time then cannot say that there is progress. Hoxha said that by the end of the year, they will not be able to finish with the pre-term priorities coming up from the European Reform Agency, but are aiming to complete the ERA process by the end of June 2018.

While MP Ilir Deda asked Minister Hoxha to show the citizens that to gain the liberalisation of the Parliament, they must conduct demarcation with Montenegro within two months, as there are elections for the European Parliament.

“For proceeding of visa liberalisation procedures, the issue of demarcation Parliament should be completed within the most two months. And that's what our people need to know. If we want visa liberalisation before new elections for the European Parliament. And that means urgency and this urgency we need to transmit to the citizens of Kosovo”, Deda stressed.

While AAK deputy Ahmet Isufi said the demand for ratification of demarcation is not new because there have been public demands until civic pressure has brought doubt that the agreement is harmful.

It is no wonder that nearly all states of the former Yugoslavia have had problems with borders, there is a centre that has solved it, and no one has been placed for visa liberalisation. And until when Kosovo will be ésuiu generisʹ continuously as a state which has to pay the price, even with territory to meet certain demands on someone outside Kosovo's territory before the demands of the people of Kosovo are met and to protect the national interests of this country. For citizen pressure, there has been pressure on this country, even this pressure has caused the actual demarcation to be the cause of the collapse of a government in Kosovo”, Isufi said.

LDK MP Armend Zemaj received criticism, saying that no law for the European agenda has been adopted so far. Only 4 laws have even been adopted by 34. Zemaj stressed that they are far away on the integration path.

I think you should first add the work dynamic to the Government, because you see clearly that since June you don't have any law adopted in the Assembly that belongs to the agenda and by 34 as long as only four have been in office. These are talking about you, the law to prevent conflict of interest, the law to remove corrupt officials, or even corrupt officials you have in government enough to issue specific laws to get them out, you have no option, executive authority to remove people who are accused or convicted, this is causing a deadlock in the integration of institutions and Kosovo into the EU -- it is turning into regrassemption”, Zemaj stressed.

But, Hoxha said things have intensified, but have sent letters to the ministers relevant to their obligations. She also blamed the government and the summer Assembly for implementing reforms for the European agenda.