Recent Hurdles on Roading Toward Visa Removal

The European Union's Council of Ministers' upcoming decision regarding liberalisation is being expected with increased attention, not only by citizens, but by institutions' own officials.

Knowers of European integrations say institutions should not be hasty and give time terms or date for visa liberalisation, as, according to them, decisions at the EU Council of Ministers are political and can change.

European integration analyst Taulant Kryeziu, in a conversation for Radio Free Europe, said there are countries in the European Union that are still sceptical about whether the criteria and reforms needed for the process have been met.

“Skepticism is seen mainly in three countries, which is Germany, France, and the Netherlands, countries that have voted in a larger way against this process and have hesitations, and here I'm talking about Holland and France, while Germany has a kind of hesitation. This has been noted in Parliament and is more or less the indicator of the positioning of these EU member states in the decision they will make at Council”, Kryeziu says.

Kryeziu says political decisions in the European Union are influenced in various forms.

He says the situation in a decision may affect the justice system, possible migration, but also the latest topics opened in reports with political dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia.

The “Any agreement Kosovo achieves with Serbia should be stable, it should be an agreement that is supported by citizens, and below three is an agreement that produces stability and non-restability in the region. Therefore, if we talk about border correction themes, exchange of territory and such ideas, this is a slap on the face for all those states that have recognised the Republic of Kosovo on these limits”, Kryeziu said.

On the other hand, Kosovo Deputy Prime Minister Enver Hoxhaj told Radio Free Europe, that concern in the European Union over the visa liberalisation process for Kosovo is illegal migration, not dialogue with Serbia and various topics.

“Dialogue and visa liberalisation are two processes that are not related to each other, so it remains our priority to show which jobs we have done in the last six years and how we have fulfilled the criteria. Concerns which are about visa liberalisation have to do with how it will be reflected in free movement of citizens without visas. So the basic concern in Europe is to manage people not to have a big wave of people who will be able to move without visas towards Europe, which will not happen”, Hoxhaj said.

European Union Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn has recently stressed that Kosovo has its support for the integration process, including visa liberalisation

Hahn has called for Kosovo to continue with reforms, especially in the area of rule of law, public administration and doing business.

Donika Kaday Buyup, a member of the Commission for European Integration, by the ruling Alliance for the Future of Kosovo party, told Radio Free Europe that all the country's institutions must work and co-operate in order for visa liberalisation to happen as soon as possible.

She says that all that voices that could present problems in this case are against Kosovo and its citizens.

“As far as the border issue is concerned, we are clear in our position. It means there is no exchange, no change and any topic for eventual openings at this stage will cause more damage, not only for liberalisation, but also other issues than there will be any progress in this direction”, said MP Kada-Bujupi.

Following the positive recommendation for visa liberalisation by the European Commission and voting in favour of liberalisation by the European Parliament, the main challenge in this process for Kosovo remains in the Council of Ministers, where interior ministers of EU member states give their assessments.