Germany: We are working on visa liberalisation for Kosovo, unknown whether to be removed this year

Germany is working intensively both for the opening of intergovernmental conferences and for visa liberalisation with Kosovo, but until now it is not known whether these will be realised within this year.

This week was the week of meetings in Berlin, be they virtual, be they physical. And in the spotlight was the theme of EU enlargement. Northern Macedonia's newly elected minister, Bujar Osmani, received the promise from his German counterpart, Heiko Maas, that Germany will do as much as it can for the EU to hold the First Intergovernmental Conference with Northern Macedonia this year. “We are in constant conversation with Bulgarian colleagues. There are also some bilateral issues that need to be resolved, but our goal remains for the first intergovernmental conference to be realised by this year, and I find it feasible, Maas said, at the virtual conference Wednesday, 30,09,2020, in Berlin, which was broadcast on Twitter.

Germany's foreign minister is in quarantine until October 4th, after one of his bodigars was tested positively with Avid 19. On this occasion Maas also expressed regret that he did not have the chance to meet physically with his new counterpart, Bujar Osmani, whom he met more than once when he was deputy prime minister even during his visits to northern Macedonia. Northern Macedonia's foreign minister, Bujar Osmani, said the extension of the first intergovernmental conference has great symbolic significance and is supporting our reforms to achieve our government's strategic goals. ”

German Minister for Europe Michael Roth told DW that EU member states are now working intensively to draft relevant negotiating frameworks for both Northern Macedonia and Albania. “Aty will determine negotiating chapters and other negotiating conditions, only when EU member states agree on these frameworks will become the first intergovernmental conference, where both sides will approve negotiating frames”, Roth said.

In the case of northern Macedonia, the resistance comes from Bulgaria. The Bulgarian government has requested through a memorandum of support from EU countries, demanding that Northern Macedonia accept that it is historically and linguistically part of Bulgaria. The persistent session will be Sofia at this request is not yet known. The two neighbouring countries are currently co-operating concretely for organising the upcoming conference under the Berlin Process.

While for Northern Macedonia, the point about the first inter-veritary conference marking the official opening of negotiations has passed to Sofia, for Albania it is in Tiranne, Berlin says. Acting Foreign Minister Gent Cakaj personally came to Berlin to convince German partners that Albania is ready for the conference. State Minister for Europe Michael Roth, who met with Cakay on Tuesday, 28,09.20, in Berlin, told Deutsche Welle that Germany, as the next EU chairman, aims to close both negotiating frames by this year. If by then Albania has met all conditions, it depends on Albania”, Roth told DW.

The suspicious and currently centralizing part of the German government to postpone the first intergovernmental conference is a part of the CDU parliamentary group. CSU. Cakaj met with three representatives of this suspicious group in Berlin during his two-day visit. European Commission Chairman Gunther Krichbaum came up optimistic about meeting Cakay, and told DW, that Albania is on the right track:

“Albania is making good progress in meeting the six conditions set by the German Bundestag, so I am optimistic that Albania will receive a date for the first accession conference. I still can't say when, because that depends on other member states. We are in the process of negotiating the negotiating framework. However, I think it is not the date of the accession conference what is important, but the speed with which chapters are addressed. ”

As you see the situation before the first intergovernmental conference, so is the parliamentary group's deputy chairman. CDU/ CSU, Johann David Wadefhul, who met Cakay on Tuesday. Wadehul told the DW, Germany supports “Albania, to fulfil its six preconditions as soon as possible for the first intergovernmental conference. Wadephul said there have been progress, such as the SPAK, but much remains to be done especially for the <x1 functional capacity of the Constitutional and Supreme Court, for electoral reform, as well as for fighting corruption and correction of the media law”.

But Wadehul said it would be good for electoral reform to be accepted entirely by the ODIHR. “Return consensus to the Political Council. And give the ODIHR the opportunity to assess the changes that will be achieved in the Political Council for election lists. Only if it says O DIR that electoral reform is in full accordance with O criteria SBE/ The ODIHR, then it will be easy for us to say that the condition of electoral reform” has been met, deputy Christian Democrat DW told on Tuesday after meeting with Cakay.

Another point with which the German government as EU chairman is working intensively to reach a consensus is visa liberalisation for EU citizens. Asked by the DW, during the conference with Osman, German Minister of Foreign Affairs Heiko Maas said that “still has some locations that have doubts. I can't give predictions on when visa liberalisation for Kosovo will be realised, but I can say it's a topic we're dealing with intensively. ”

At the virtual media conference, Northern Macedonia Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani also presented the North Macedonia stance on the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue. In response to the question of Serbian President Vuciq's proposal for the Association of Serbian municipalities with executive competencies, Minister Bujar Osmani called for the final <x0 resolutions of open issues not to create precedency with negative effects in the region”. and said North Macedonia “supports the dialogue, which will end with mutual recognition of both states and with recognition of the highest standards of minorities in both states”.

Similarly, Cakaj was expressed in Berlin similarly: “The German presidency of the Council should give strong impetus to the visa liberalisation process for Kosovo and that the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia should not end with anything less than mutual recognition. ” ] Cakaj stressed in response. /DW