Pacolli: No visa liberalisation this year

Vetevendosje Movement MP Victory Pacolli has spoken of a meeting the Commission for European Integrations with the European Union Office in Pristina, in which, according to the MP, has received signals that this year there will be no visa liberalisation.

At the meeting held without the presence of the media, Pacolli has said Kosovo has failed to take concrete steps in terms of fighting corruption and organised crime -- the latest condition for visa liberalisation.

“I just came back from a meeting we had the most representatives of the EU Office to discuss meeting the criteria of fighting corruption for visa liberalisation. From what we saw is now certain there will be no visa liberalisation this year, and it is very clear that Kosovo has not taken any concrete steps in combating corruption and organised crime”, Pacolli has said.

The VV MP has said representatives of the EU Office hoped they would receive positive proposals from the European Commission, but according to her, Kosovo has not done enough to meet the last visa condition.

“So the representatives of the European Office themselves hoped there would be any positive proposals from the European Commission, so they hoped and were not convinced that we would get a positive proposal but hoped in what we would get. This suggests that we have not done enough with meeting the main criteria, and Kosovo will not move forward in the visa liberalisation process. Fulfilling the main condition -- namely, combating crime and corruption -- is emerging to be beyond the reach of this government and this political class”, Pacolli has said.