Eurodeputs call for Merkel to establish visa liberalisation for Kosovo on agenda

In the letter, which has also been signed by EU rapporteur for Kosovo Violet von Cremon, the eurodeputs demand that the issue of Kosovo visa liberalisation be addressed after two years have passed since the country has met all standards set by the EU.

For the moment, Kosovo is one of the few remaining European countries whose citizens cannot travel freely to the Schengen zone without visas. However, it no longer depends on Kosovars. The process to achieve visa liberalisation is supposed to be based on objective criteria, which, reportedly by the European Commission, was fulfilled in July 2018, exactly two years ago, and since then the country has been awaiting the Council's final decision to grant visa freedom to its citizens, “is said on paper.

He also stresses that over the past years, four presidencys of the different Council have not taken up this issue, voicing their hope that historic ties and Germany's commitment to the neighbourhood and Western Balkans can be used to solve this problem.

The letter refutes claims that Kosovo will not be equipped with visa liberalisation due to the number of unbased asylum and organised crime problems, stressing that EU institutions have clarified in some cases that these two are not obstacles to providing a country with visa liberalisation.

“Standards have been met by Kosovo. They've done their homework, now it's our turn not to break our promise. We're losing our credibility when a third country does what we ask of them, but they don't get the advantages we promised them. How can we seek any further reform from the countries in our neighborhood, when they cannot be sure that they can gain anything from their work,” asks the Eurodeputs.

MPs also bring in the fact that the European Parliament itself has called on the Commission to grant visa liberalisation to Kosovo citizens, reminding the German presidency of the Council that it is a chance to improve the lives of Kosovars and draw Kosovo closer to the EU.

On 19 June, the issue of Kosovo visa liberalisation caused a dispute between EU rapporteur for Kosovo Violet von Cremon and special US envoy for Kosovo-Serbia negotiations Richard Green on Twitter.

He told von Cremon to focus on liberalising Kosovo's visas instead of criticising “everything the Trump administration does to help normalise Kosovo and Serbia's” economies.

Von Croamon answered Grenelli, telling him to ask French President Emmanuel Macro about the matter.