19 minutes agoS '%ka visa liberalisation: Von-Cramon urges future government to convince skeptical countries
Periskopi(5 years ago)
(5 years ago)Visa liberalisation for Kosovo does not appear on the horizon either this year. Pandemia and elections in several European states are expected to render the decision of the EU Council for the loose movement of Kosovars in the Schengen area. However, the rapporteur for Kosovo in the European Parliament, Violet Von-Cramon, urges the future government to work and engage in [...]
Visa liberalisation for Kosovo does not appear on the horizon either this year. Pandemia and elections in several European states are expected to render the decision of the EU Council for the loose movement of Kosovars in the Schengen area. However, the rapporteur for Kosovo in the European Parliament, Violet Von-Cramon, urges the future government to work and engage in dialogue with sceptical countries to convince it deserves visa liberalisation.
In a response to Kosovo, she says the most important thing to obey is the French government.
The visa liberalisation is in the Council's hand: It is EU member states that will have to give the green light for visa liberalisation. However, it does not mean that the Government of Kosovo can do nothing. The road ahead is to make sure that the Government of Kosovo gets involved in a dialogue with those member states, which are skeptical at the moment. Most importantly, the French government must be convinced that Kosovo is ready for visa liberalisation. They must ensure that anything France or other member states will seek can be addressed by Kosovo authorities, if they can determine specific aspects why they hesitate so far, Kosovo must improve these aspects”, she says.
Hopeful that visa liberalisation will take place this year are also connoisseurs and European integrations.
Institute Director E PIC, Demush Shasha ranks for Kosovo some of the reasons why you see this impossible.
For two reasons there is no progress in visa liberalisation in 2021. The first Arse is pandemic and we have to recognize the fact that we live with a new political reality... we have to recognise the fact that there are elections in EU countries, Dutch and Germany respectively. These political developments will hinder any decision concerning opening borders with third countries. Especially in time of pandemic... I don't see any possibility of visa liberalisation in 2021”, he declares.
While, Visar Jamaica from Democracy for Development (D4D) says the issue depends also on the pressure the future European Union can put on.
The European Union has been delayed in terms of visa liberalisation. I think this will depend on our government to put pressure on this issue. I don't think we should count on Portugal or any other country. But we have to raise this case constantly. I think it is the government's obligation to keep this issue high on the priority list... considering Covid 19, vaccine problems, travel, as well as political problems from France, Holland and Denmark we cannot expect anything positive”, he says.
Even European mechanisms have confirmed that Kosovo has met the criteria for liberalisation, but to happen, each of the EU member states on the European Council must confirm visa liberalisation for Kosovo. Portugal has received the Council's leadership since January.
Meanwhile, Kosovo is the only country in the Western Balkans that still does not enjoy the right to free movement in the Schengen area.
