Will Kosovo catch the last moment for visa liberalisation?

Kosovo institutions have only weeks available to ratify the border demarcation agreement with Montenegro, say integration issues analysts.

Given the fact that in February, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker will present the strategy for the Balkans and European Union enlargement, analysts say losing this moment would mean several years of isolation for Kosovo and lack of visa liberalisation.

It was also Kosovo President Hashim Thaci, who had invited the political spectrum to be responsible and prepared to fulfill his obligations by that time. On the contrary, as he has said, it would cost Kosovo a high price of “.

The criteria for lifting visas for Kosovo citizens were and remain in the political agenda of all Kosovo governments from 2010.

Currently, the last two criteria remain, respectively, the criterion for fighting corruption and for marking the border line with Montenegro.

Jehona Lushaku é Sadriu, analyst and political affairs in a proposal for Radio Free Europe considers it important that the remaining criteria be met in record time.

She emphasises that the impasse has been marked in this process and that Kosovo is at the same point as it was three years ago.

“has created a paradoxical situation with regard to the demarcation agreement. On the one hand, agreement was approved in Government, while on the other hand, we have a call from the prime minister that this agreement is not approved in Parliament”.

“In the meantime, on the other hand, we have a call from the president for this agreement to be approved and, as well, we have called from the international community for this agreement to pass because it is a binding agreement to meet the conditions for visa liberalisation”, says Lushak-Sadriu.

It estimates that the responsibility of the political spectrum and all parliamentarians must be very high and be aware of the consensus Kosovo may have as a state.

“We're like a blocked state and we don't have visa liberalisation, but we have met the largest number of conditions ever set before a country. That's why it's paradoxical and bad because of a criterion, such as demarcation, to remain isolated as society, and as state”, says Lushaku-Sadiku.

The border demarcation agreement with Montenegro is signed by Pristina and Podgorica authorities at the end of August 2015, in Vienna.

The same agreement was ratified by Montenegro's Assembly, but not by Kosovo's. 80 deputies' votes are needed for ratification of the agreement.

Emrush Ujkan, professor of European Law at the University of Pristina, tells Radio Free Europe that in any variation, Kosovo institutions do not have time to lose in ratification of demarcation with Mt. ZI.

Wolfan considers that ratification of demarcation with Montenegro would be good to happen before European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker presents the strategy for the Balkans and European Union enlargement.

He says he is not sure whether the institutions will manage to ratify the agreement before this date, but that the consequences in the event of failure to break that agreement will be great for the country.

The non-recognition of this agreement will leave us out of many processes, not only from the European agenda, since we will continue to be a black spot and cannot be talked about progress in other areas as long as we have this. Second, we will leave our allies, those who support the ratification of this agreement, so we are losing the support of our allies “, Ujcan estimates.

By contrast, officials from the European Union are constantly demanding that institutions not delay in meeting the criteria if they aim at visa liberalisation in the nearest term.