Opposition powers against conditioning visa liberalisation with dialogue

Minister for European Integration in the Government of Kosovo, Gift Hoxha, in an interview for Radio Free Europe said that “this would be most disappointing to see such trends, despite the fact that we have to accept that we have had demands, either for tax suspension or for the continuation of dialogue, one related to the other”.

I hope it doesn't connect because from the start we have paid double the price that countries in the region paid for, so we have 95 criteria, while other countries have had 40-45 criteria”, Hoxha said.

Integration Minister Gift Hoxha voiced hope that this issue would not have such tendencies.

We have made this clear, and I have made it clear in many of my meetings, and we have said that we should not pay once again for visa liberalisation by asking for something that is not even related to visa liberalisation”, she stressed.

Opposition representatives, but political analysts also say the Government of Kosovo should commit that the issue of visa liberalisation is not linked to the Kosovo-Serbia political dialogue process.

Vetevendosje Movement MP Pacolli Dalipi, speaking of Radio Free Europe, said political dialogue with Serbia and the visa liberalisation process for Kosovo have no connections and that Kosovo institutions in any case should not allow this issue to become a requirement.

Our ministry and government should insist that this does not enter dialogue. In addition, they have to work to fight corruption and convince member states that are working in this direction, because we have a European Commission report that says; yes, conditions have been met”, Pacolli-Dalip said. /REL