Minister Hoxha said we would travel without visas from September, yet nothing concrete

The Demarkation Agreement, after many attempts at the Assembly, was voted on March 21st of this year, which is more than seven months since that event. Kosovo leaders daily give dates set out for visa liberalisation, but something like that is still not being seen by the green light, writes Periscopi.

“We cannot give concrete deadlines on when free citizens can travel to the Schengen Zone, as all legislative procedures depend on internal mechanisms of EU institutions. However, what we can say is that expectations of the Ministry of European Integration are that all this procedure will not last more than 6 months from the ratification date of the Demarket Agreement. Such a timetable is realistic, since it has been applied in the concrete case of visa liberalisation in the past with third-seat”, Minister Hoxha had said in an interview of its February 28th of this year.

Minister Dona Hoxha had not fired her when she gave that promise of visa liberalisation, and despite that, she continues to be optimistic about other dates.

That today in the debate, organised by the “The European Parliaments Association”, which is being held in Strasbourg, has demanded that visa liberalisation for citizens of the Republic of Kosovo occur within this year, expressing optimism that something like that will happen soon.

Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj had also reiterated weeks ago that visas would take place by the end of the year and that Kosovo citizens would enjoy the right to move freely to Europe.

The same optimism is shared by other leaders, including President Hashim Thaci, but without providing any concrete date.

However, internationals are thus not thinking with the argument that Kosovo still has work to do in the fight against crime and corruption.

The head of the EU Office in Kosovo, Natalia Apostolova, has said weeks ago that Kosovo should continue its work on improving the area of rule of law and fighting organised crime.

The decision on this process is now in EU member states. At this time Kosovo's Parliament must show readiness in fulfilling tasks in the field of rule of law and organised crime”, Apostolova said, not excluding even the need to fulfil the entire Stabilisation and Association Agreement, as well as the agenda that European Reforms (ERA).

And recently, it is the German MP who, during his stay in Pristina, extinguished Kosovo's visa hopes. He said that even the year 2018 would end without something concrete in this direction.

Peter Beyer stressed that Berlin does not decide on the question of green light for the free movement of Kosovo citizens.

”Berlin does not decide for visa liberalisation. You know the process. The European Parliament Commission has voted, 95% of the conditions have been met. I would be very careful in giving dates, I would be very optimistic that visa liberalisation will occur this year. But there is almost no green light. Anyone who feels that this year could be liberalized is wrong. No state date has been set so far. No one has yet been declared. It's a process that's under way and it shouldn't be given a deadline.

Recent voices have been added that say visas are not liberalised before 2020. Otherwise, the European Commission in June has given positive recommendation for visa liberalisation. Three months later, in September, the European Parliament has voted in favour of freedom of movement of Kosovo citizens. While in December of this year, it is expected that the Council of Ministers will give the assessment on visa liberalisation for Kosovo./Periscopi/