Reka optimistic, gives visa liberalisation dates to Kosovars

“At the embassies of European Union countries, the percentage of visa rejections for Kosovo citizens are brought from 12 to 20 per cent that is not a high-level refusal to raise the suspicion that if the entire Kosovo were opened, it would move to the EU. We have multiple larger states with multiple higher evidence of corruption such as Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, which the European Commission stripped of many years ago of visas, not a Kosovo, which is 2 million which is not even the same as a Berlin 35x1> neighbourhood, Reka said at KTV.

Reka added that the talks EU officials have had on this issue are hopeful

The “have remained two conditions that have not been exceeded, that is, very quickly and easily reachable conditions whether there will be an awareness in our judiciary to recover from political influence and proceed not because the Kosovo government requires it but because the judge's profession requires it. It should only be followed by cases which are taxed even by name”, Reka said.

He stressed that there have been meetings with ministers aimed at meeting conditions that are preconditions for eliminating the reluctance of states which do not recognise Kosovo.

He said he is optimistic that visa liberalisation will happen this year, until he has added that he refuses to give the date when it will happen.

“I can say that within this year, I am optimistic that visas will be removed, and I base this optimism on the two Croatian and German presidencys, which are friendly, friendly presidencys of friendly states, and especially in addition to Croatia, that they will publicly support us in the visa liberalisation process, but I consider that even a powerful Germany, which is the European integration engine, will once again reveal the possibility that if not within the Croatian presidency by July 1st of this year, where the second month of the second presidency has created all political preconditions, and that this process of nearly a decade with the removal of Kosovo's visas. ”

He said that in the ministry he is leading, he has found the paperwork requiring precise evidence for the judicial outcome of cases of high crime and corruption, and that providing these evidence is a prerequisite for convincing three states that are not yet convinced to vote for visa liberalisation.

“I found paperwork where for years it has been stressed that the key problem of not lifting visas remains to provide precise evidence, “tack record” for the judicial outcome of cases of criminality and high corruption. And I don't understand whether this has been said for years despite the fact that technically Kosovo in the recent European Commission report has closed all criteria for liberalisation, 95 criteria, despite the fact that the European Parliament has also given the declaration or resolution of support of this process, today it is surprising why 2-3 states that will not be mentioned for diplomatic reasons still have hesitation. These are three countries that have known us, it's not about rejection of non-conventional states. We're dealing with friendly, supportive states but who can't convince how it's possible that for years I cannot complete a high profile judicial process in the area of organised crime and corruption. We have no hesitation from these states' foreign affairs ministries, but the reluctance is the ministries of internal affairs. “said Reka.

Speaking of the new methodology for membership in the European Union presented by the European Commission, Reka said this methodology would make it difficult for aspiring countries to membership.

Contrary to the current enlargement strategy, the process now becomes more gradual, more resurgent and even more creditable politically. In the current EU strategy, the key word in the entire negotiation leadership process was held by the European Commission, and it happened that after 10 years when it positively recommended membership, it occurred that the European Council thought otherwise. Now with the new strategy, the European Commission, together with the Council, by inspecting member states will monitor this process so that recent surprises will be lifted when someone thinks it has reached the end of the process. It makes it difficult in terms of renewal because from now on an open and closed chapter doesn't mean it's definitely closed because we're going to be monitored as a state even after the closure and if it's proven that the same capital” will reopen, Reka added.

Reka also spoke of his priorities during the leadership of the European Integrity Ministry.

“Tre all my priorities as minister will be, the short-term priority to lift visas, the medium-term priority to speed up how quickly the Stabilisation and Association Agreement is possible, and to complete the ERA 1 programme and switch to the ERA 2 programme and the third long-term priority if we can achieve within this government mandate within 3 or 4 years to prepare Kosovo's file for EU candidate status”, he said.