Swedish ambassador for the liberalisation date: It's hard to make predictions.

For this, the European Commission requires a report with final judicial decisions on cases of organised and high-level crime, such as official corruption.

Nilsson says there should also be the focus of the Government of Kosovo, in meeting this last criterion, which not only fulfils obligations in Kosovo's European integration process, but brings good to all Kosovo society.

In an interview for Kosova Press, the state ambassador who ranks fourth for investments made in Kosovo and lives nearly 47 thousand Kosovars, Sweden, speaks of the political situation in Kosovo, of the needs Kosovo leadership must address in the field of democracy and human rights, especially about vulnerable communities in serious condition.

EU Enlargement Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom had handed the visa liberalisation guide to Kosovo, prepared by the European Commission, in June 2012. There, Kosovo was counted full of 90 criteria, plus additional criteria which could determine the EC so that Kosovo can meet the conditions for taking the green light for free movement in the Schengen area states. In 2015, when it was said that most of the criteria had been met had emerged as an additional need, except for the criteria presented in the guide, to be approved by the demarcation of the border with Montenegro in Parliament. The task, which was completed by Kosovo leadership after many political blockades in March of this year.

Once the task was completed, Kosovo political leaders began to declare possible dates for visa liberalisation. Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj had even warned that such a thing could happen within the year. Annie why, the EC's assessment of meeting the criteria for Kosovo is expected to be given only in June of this year.

For Sweden's ambassador, who is a member state of the EU, and is implementing the nearly 74m-euro project in Kosovo's reforms for its EU integration, predicting a possible date for visa liberalisation for Kosovo at present is difficult to deliver.

I think it's important that when we talk about visa liberalisation, we stay at the 90 criteria plus those the European Commission has set for Kosovo, and our assessment is that, okay, there is a criterion left, while others have been fulfilled. We are in close contact with the European Commission and how to say it they have the experience when it comes to assess whether Kosovo has not met a criterion properly or not. I want to stress also that these criteria are, of course, the goal has been to reach visa liberalisation and travel freely to the states of the Schengen area, but they are like saying many other benefits for Kosovo society in general... I think it is very difficult to make predictions at this time, because it is impossible to know for now. It may not be very productive to think deeply about the date when it will occur, how much focus on meeting the last criteria, and then start from there”, Nilsson said.

He has also spoken of the EC's request to Kosovo to submit a history report (rack record) with data concerning final judicial decisions -- namely Appeal -- on cases of organised crime and corruption, and especially official corruption.

Nilsson advises the Government of Kosovo to focus on this requirement in terms of visas more than on date.

“We co-operate closely with the European Commission and the European Commission with the Government of Kosovo, and here everything is extended, if I can say so. They [the European Commission] have requested a report, and when the EC did the assessment on this, we listen to the assessment, and I don't have any particular advice beyond that. Because I would rather encourage the Government of Kosovo to work to meet this last criterion”, Ambassador Nilsson has said.

Ambassador Nilsson, who represents Sweden's Government in three Balkan states, Kosovo Macedonia and Albania, has spoken among other things about Kosovo- Sweden calling “excellent” As a basis for this, it has cited the fact that approximately 47 thousand Kosovars live in Sweden, which, according to him, connects the two powerful states.

He has said Sweden supports Kosovo on its path to the EU, but that his state's greatest political commitment in Kosovo is seen through reforms.

“As Sweden's ambassador to Kosovo, this is the area in which I am focused on contributing as much as I can, in order to bring Kosovo as close to the European Union, and the country or the means to do so is through reforms. So we invest many resources and also many jobs in co-operation with Kosovo in various ways so that Kosovo can be reformed on its way to the European Union”, he has said.

This year alone, the Swedish Government has allocated nearly 74m euros to the Government of Kosovo in support of reforms in democracy, economy, social development, etc. All of this in the framework of the Swedish Government's commitment to supporting the European integration process for Kosovo, for which an agreement was signed with then European Integration Minister Bekim Colak in October 2015.

However, the Swedish Embassy is not focused on Kosovo's daily policy, much less when it comes to <x0 major decisions<x1) political decisions, as is the case with other embassies which are perceived as more influential in political decisions. Asked whether this concerns the approach of the Swedish government and neutrality to Kosovo's internal issues, or only the reflection of its power in Kosovo, Nilsson made clear the government policy that he represents by insisting that they are for co-operation with the Government of Kosovo, but not for interference in decisions that belong to the leadership of Kosovo.

So you're asking about interventions in large policy, let's say we prefer co-operation and co-operation in reforms is our way of using the experience that we have and sharing it with Kosovo. And we think that this is an efficient way of co-operating”, he said.

The Swedish ambassador further said that Kosovo voters should know the responsibilities for the decisions made for their lives and that they must be Kosovo leaders.

“I think that it is important that the Kosovo leadership, they are responsible for their actions, and if I were a voter in Kosovo I would certainly like to know who is responsible for the decisions made. So as a diplomat or a foreign state in Kosovo, of course we leave it to Kosovo's political leaders to make decisions regarding their state, but we are certainly open to co-operation. We want to bring Kosovo closer to the European Union and we want to assist in this”, said Ambassador Nilsson, who sees Sweden's biggest contribution to Kosovo in reform and democratisation, where he also says they have the focus like Government.

Speaking further about the political situation in Kosovo, Sweden's ambassador has also commented on dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, as well as the importance of Kosovo fulfilling all the obligations Kosovo has pledged as a party to the dialogue on normalising relations with Serbia, as the establishment of the Serb majority municipalities.

Our position is that for all that the parties have agreed to under the dialogue, it would have to be implemented, and many steps have been taken for that implementation, but some steps have still remained. We strongly encourage that money be made with the implementation of the Serb-run Communist Association. Definitely what the final outcome of that association will be of course remains to be seen, and depends on the two sides which are negotiating”, Nilsson said.

Asked about what an end to dialogue on normalising Kosovo-Serbia relations might look like, thought to be reached with the binding legal agreement for the parties this year, the ambassador said that mutual recognition must be something logically flowing by the agreement.

A cruise point is normalising relations and this will be vital to moving forward on integration routes. I think it should be mutual and it would be the same. This final agreement, it would have to enhance stability in the region, but I believe the logical consequences and logical interpretation is that I will set a point for a time when states will recognise each other”, Neilsson said.

However, when asked about his statements, which are almost identical to other ambassadors in transforming the mandate of the Kosovo Security Force (FSK) into military mandate, as a need for stability not only in Kosovo but also in the region, Neilsson insisted that constitutional changes are needed. Why, therefore, are the votes of Serbian representatives in Parliament sought, who are not pro-creating the Kosovo Army.

When we say that transformation The KSF must be done through constitutional changes, we say because we think this is for the benefit of Kosovo. It needs to be built on a broad consensus in society, and it certainly includes the Serb community and so it's very basic so a multi-ethnic society should happen. It has also been very evident that Kosovo should consider what international partners say... I am convinced that Kosovo's political leadership can definitely build consensus”, Ambassador Nilsson has said.

The ambassador to the end had another message for Kosovo politicians.

Kosovo is democratic and political leaders have democratic mandates. But my advice, of course, would be to look to the future and do the best in reforms that other countries like Sweden, for example, want to get close to Kosovo and do that part of the EU”, Ambassador Henrik Nilsson has said.

Ambassador Nilsson represents the Kingdom of Sweden in Kosovo as the first resident ambassador since 2016. Sweden is among the first EU member states to have recognised Kosovo's independence, formalising it on March 4th 2008.