Osmani: Coming Afghan refugees is a matter of days

Kosovo is ready for citizens to be evacuated from Afghanistan, but the exact time of their arrival is not yet known.

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani has said in an interview for British television channel Skynews that authorities are awaiting information concerning the exact date of reaching these people in Kosovo.

It's only a matter of days. It will certainly depend on how their transportation will be organised, because the process is organised by the United States. We will know [the time of their arrival] perhaps by the end of this week”, she has declared.

The exact number of Afghan refugees that will accept Kosovo is still unknown, but President Osmani has declared that they are working on expanding capacity to accept as many of them as possible.

We're just about to accept the first refugees. Now we are increasing our capacities so we can accept more [refuge]. Therefore, I cannot mention the final number [of refugees to come] until the study of any location we can accept in Kosovo” has declared Osman.

According to her, five Kosovo citizens so far have been evacuated from Afghanistan, and Kosovo's Foreign Ministry has made telephone lines available for other citizens who may need evacuation from there.

Kosovo has been among the first states to respond positively to the US's request to accommodate Afghans, who have collaborated with American forces after the Taliban have taken over Afghanistan.

The United States government will cover all expenses for Afghans that will be sheltered in different parts of the world including Kosovo until legal procedures are completed for them to be deployed in the US.

Of the countries in the region, both Albania and Northern Macedonia have expressed readiness to accommodate Afghans who have co-operated with NATO, NATO forces and have worked for foreign organisations. / REL