German diplomat sharply with the EU: Kosovo visa failure questions credibility

Two years have passed since the European Commission had declared that Kosovo has met all the conditions for visa liberalisation, but since July 18th of 2018, Kosovo continues to be the only isolated country in Europe.

On July 18th of 2018, the European Commission had declared that Kosovo has met the two requirements or the last two conditions for visa liberalisation. The Commission's 2018 communiqué said that with ratification of demarcation with Montenegro and progress in the fight against crime and corruption, all standards set out on the Road for visa liberalisation have been met.

But since then, despite empty promises both by Kosovo and European leaders, nothing has been done in this direction, even though there have been voices of various European officials that Kosovo is being wronged in this respect, but what it looks like the main forces like France and Germany have been the main obstacles to this issue.

And about this injustice to Kosovo, German diplomat Wolfgang Ischinger has also reacted on Twitter, who has written that the long delay and failure to fulfil the EU's promise of visa liberalisation for Kosovo citizens has questioned the EU's credibility. “Okay, let's do it now! Visa liberalisation for all Kosovo citizens is an unfulfilled EU promise. The long delay puts into question the credibility of the EU”, wrote Wolfgang Ischinger, the Metro newspaper.

While it is noteworthy that the Kosovo Rapporteur for the European Parliament, Violet von Cremon, said days ago that France, Germany and the Netherlands are the main forces that have opposed visa liberalisation. We should stress that even US President Donald Trump's special envoy for the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, Richard Green, has been loud and critical of the EU in terms of visa liberalisation, which had called for this issue to be completed as soon as possible.

With the EU's EU presidency coming from Germany, citizens' optimism had been added, but from the publication of the Europia Council's draft plan as the key body on this issue, Kosovo and visa liberalisation is nowhere to be found.