Hoxhaj convinced that citizens will move without visas within this year

According to Hoxhaj, the European Commission's report on Kosovo has been a clear indication that criteria for abolishing the visa regime have already been met, although, according to him, work remains to be done.

The “must be admitted that we have work to do, ranging from lobby to EU institutions to member states. From experience, I can say that nothing can be achieved on foreign policy topics without intensively lobbiing, and visa liberalisation is as domestic as much as external themes”, Hoxhaj said during an interview for “Gazeta Blic”.

Meanwhile, asked for a European Union delegation's visit expected to do early next month to assess the work done in the fight against corruption, Hoxhaj said he expects a positive report on their part.

The verifiable team that will come to Kosovo from the same Commission early May will draft a report on the actual situation on the ground, and I believe it will be a positive report. Still, I think it's better to wait for the assessment and then discuss it”, he said.

After ratification of the demarcation agreement with Montenegro, European Union mission officials in Kosovo have said that the attention of Kosovo institutions should focus on strengthening the results of the fight against organised crime and corruption.

By contrast, since 2016, the European Commission had proposed to the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament, the lifting of visas for Kosovo citizens, and the putting Kosovo on the list of free flow countries in the Schengen area.

From that time on, Kosovo had two criteria to meet -- that of ratifying the border demarcation agreement with Montenegro, which has already ended and the criteria of fighting organised crime and corruption.