Hoxha's going to resign: I don't feel responsible for failing to liberalize

She has also considered it to be sad that the EU has now left the Kosovo institutions in order for further steps on this issue.

Minister Hoxha, during this interview, has also told of states that have opposed visa liberalisation for Kosovo, adding that the reluctance of these countries has dealt with their domestic issues rather than with Kosovo.

KA Mrs. Hoxha has repeatedly warned that the end of this year will be crucial for Kosovo to have visa liberalisation, but shortly before Commissioner Johannes Hahn said that the realistic year is 2020. What's going on in this direction?

Present Hoxha: We have not accepted official information on what we can expect further in the coming months or weeks, we have been working hard to get the visa liberalisation issue into the agenda, especially to end under the Austrian presidency. The fierce debate that is under way over the immigration issue has prompted member states to have hesitations, not against Kosovo citizens, but their reluctance not to misuse any decision then to increase extreme rightist parties responsible for those parties that are against migration because we remember that the upcoming elections are in May (2019). We don't have anything official but we're still not going to give up, we're going to ask for something that belongs to us. We have met the criteria, this is also reconfirmed with numerous letters that are demanding that the EU keep his words. So all we're looking for is for the EU to either keep its word.

KA LLXO.com: Why did Kosovo fail to enter the European Union Council of Ministers agenda, what prevented this?

Present Hoxha: All that we have had in our hands has been completed, and this has resulted in confirmation that Kosovo has met the criteria and if there had been anything suspicious even the Eurodeputs had recently written the letter demanding that the EU keep its word. Also, many member states are for visa liberalisation and are raising the voice that a major injustice has been done to Kosovars, because we have many countries enjoying visa liberalisation, but they are not probably on criteria and standards do not stand better than Kosovo, in fact, stand much worse. This process has been designed by the EU, meets the criteria then comes liberalisation and we have met the criteria and now all we're looking for is for citizens to move as quickly as they can free.
KA LLXO.com: You have repeatedly claimed that the criteria for visa liberalisation have been met, but despite this, liberalisation did not take place, who is the EU guilty or Kosovo itself?

Present Hoxha: The responsibility of the Republic of Kosovo has ceased at the moment we saw and received clear recommendation and confirmation from the European Commission, then from the committee. LIBE from the European Parliament that Kosovo has fulfilled all 95 criteria and we have completed our mandate, which has been meeting the criteria. It is now meaningless to see this reluctance on a matter that is so important for Kosovo citizens, which has nothing to do with these issues being discussed in the EU. Kosovo will not misuse liberalisation, we've done a survey, we've analyzed through and it's confirmed to us once again that Kosovo will not misuse visa liberalisation when that happens. Unfortunately, we are seeing a reluctance by France and Holland, and these two states because of the washed voice that has been raised because of their internal issues have also caused the Austrian presidency to hesitate not to put the visa issue on the agenda of Kosovo, because it is procedural that we have been in the last step and are still in the last step. So we just need voting in the Council of Ministers.

KA LLXO.com: So you're thinking the EU is more responsible for this?
EU has failed to keep its word
Present Hoxha: If it's a designed process, a bureaucratic technical process in this case, we've had 95 criteria that we've met since the beginning we've been discriminated against, we've had twice the criteria. We are told that when we meet and receive positive recommendation from the Commission to meet these criteria, then we will continue to do our part, and this is said to us by every leader who has visited in the last three years since the high representative Moghrini, by President Juncker and Commissioner Hahn and Commissioner Avramopollos, all of whom have declared these things, but now we are seeing that there is a total disregard for the Kosovo case, none of these member states, especially those parties have been unwilling to deal with the Kosovo issue. The responsibility here is that the EU has failed to keep its part of the obligation because ultimately the European integration process is a contractual process, we meet standards and then they advance towards the integration process. In this case we have met the criteria that have been for liberalisation, we have had to be given liberalisation. This process they themselves have also designed based on the promises of freedom of movement of people and goods they themselves are violating and disrespecting the word given that free movement is human right is one of the basic principles of the EU, so they do not respect their part of the agreement.

KA Mrs. Hoxha, the Kosovo government has shared a separate budget for lobbiing for visa liberalisation. How much is this budget and how much have you spent?

Present Hoxha: The Kosovo government has not shared a budget for lobby, the question is that we've wanted to share the budget for lobby, but there were two processes and INTERPOL lobes, as well as visa lobes. The publication that has been done is thus done with budgetary lines of each of Kosovo's institutions, in this case lobbiation made by the Ministry of Integration, by me, the prime minister, Chief Parliamentary Veselin. There is no expense that has exceeded those budgetary lines that has been reserved for trips abroad. I have to say that we have had many visits and lobbies, it has had effect because many of the countries that have been more reluctant have changed their position and have been for visa liberalisation, such as Poland and Chekhia, I have had meetings in Rome, Estonia, many and many other countries, so I have met with top officials and non-recognising countries that promised to support us for the visa liberalisation process. Maybe we should share a higher budget to have a co-ordination or maybe to spread more around the world, but there were two processes that coincided with time, so it was INTERPOL, and the visa liberalisation process. This is a right that belongs to us, we must continue to demand that the EU keep its word.

KA LLXO.com: Have you calculated how much the budget was specifically spent on the issue of visa lobeing?
Present Hoxha: We haven't made any calculations, but these can be offered. We're a very transparent minister and whatever request you might have of course we'll provide you with all the information.
KA LLXO.com: What's wrong with this lobby?
Present Hoxha: I don't think it went wrong, rather I see this issue as a part of which we have done our job, the government, institutions have done a great job, we have met the criteria. But on the other hand, we are also seeing that the situation the EU is going through is a situation that is not favouring us as Kosovo, not because they have something against Kosovo. We are in a situation where neither state wants to make a decision that would exacerbate the position of that government or that institution in the upcoming European Parliament elections.

KA LLXO.com: What are states that have not convinced Kosovo to obtain visa liberalisation?
Present Hoxha: States that are not convinced, not because they are against Kosovo, but are against the issues they have in their internal agendas -- politics and their internal situation -- are France and the Netherlands. They're against. And Germany, also because of the domestic situation so we had the internal elections in the CDU, where there was a shift from Merkel that was the leader or leader of that party, so all of this in one way or another had an impact on the issue or the issue of liberalisation not getting into the agenda. So these are two states that are against, but not against Kosovo. All the other countries I have visited and talked to are all supporters of visa liberalisation. The EU is holding us in some uninformed way about what's going on, all the time when we communicate with the EU states, directly with Brussels and the institutions there, all they say is, you've met your terms, you've done your job now it's at the ball. It's a pity that we don't have a clarity for the future steps of this process and we, but we ask that nothing more than to be treated equally with all states, have met the criteria give us visa liberalisation?

KA LLXO.com: Your resignation from the opposition has been requested after Commissioner Hahn's recent statements. Have you considered this as an opportunity?
Present Hoxha: I mentioned that the responsibility of the government, institutions of the Republic of Kosovo, ended on 17 July when the European Commission confirmed that the Republic of Kosovo has fulfilled all the criteria. Even after we have fulfilled the criteria, we have continued with our work even in the agenda of European reforms (ERA). Last week we had a package of law-rule laws that we passed, and this has been a very important signal even towards Brussels that we are continuing to work on. We have done everything we can and what was in our hands, but it really makes sense that we are seeing an EU that is refusing to implement its part of the agreement.

KA LLXO.com: So you haven't considered an opportunity to resign from the post of minister?
Present Hoxha: Not only I but also all of us who have had any responsibility have finished our affairs.

KA Mrs. Hoxha, which of you marks the moment you would resign from the post of minister?
Present Hoxha: The responsibility that affects the ethical principles that I have as minister or that I would have conflicted with violating the principles I have, of course I would consider such an issue. But I've always worked on these principles in any position, any position, so the highest principles of responsibility, transparency, efficiency and what's most important in any institution I've worked with I've been a great follower of increased transparency but also fighting corruption at any level of any official.