Visa liberalisation, required by Kosovo government to work with France and Holland as sceptical countries

Although the European Commission recommended visa liberalisation after the state has met the criteria, this has not yet happened.

In this regard, International Law Professor Africa Hoti, in an interview for Online Economics, said that except this is a violation of human rights has even hampered business work and damaged citizens in general.

The losses are very large from the fact that the visa liberalisation issue affects or involves a right considered to be human fundamentalists, because we're not talking about a privilege or benefit, but we're talking about a right that has deprived Kosovo citizens and especially young people, but other categories such as businesses that are not able to move freely. There have been untold losses and unfortunately such losses will continue in the short-term”.

It numbers two factors that have influenced this process -- those related to the fragility of local institutions to deal with problems as rule of law.

But even issues within EU institutions themselves, not excluding Kosovo-Serbia dialogue as a precondition for this process.

I think there are many factors which have reflected in this not a little complicated process and these factors I would group into two groups. The first are internal factors which are related to the fragility of Kosovo institutions to deal with problems the EU has had for Kosovo. But also of the nature of internal governance in corruption issues, rule of law and similar”.

The “on the other side of external factors initially present the situation with non-recognition by a number of EU countries which have not least caused Kosovo problems, not only on the issue of liberalisation, but on the matter of communication or the creation of contractual reports between Pristina and Brussels, and this has also overshadowed the visa liberalisation issue”.

He has added that the visa liberalisation issue must be at the head of the Government's agenda to convince countries which are sceptical.

The issue of liberalisation should be on the left of the agenda that our foreign policy and should be prioritized and passed on to a much larger offensive both Government and others so that Kosovars could have liberalisation and freedom of movement. That hasn't happened so far. To take very serious initiatives primarily in those countries that are skeptical, in the first place, France, as much as France and the Netherlands, in order to tackle what dilemma Paris officials and The Hague have against Pristina in order to change their attitude and to be the pro liberalisation of”.

However, university professor Dorajet Imer has added that the visa liberalisation process is in an extended phase, so according to him, it has lost confidence in EU institutions, reports Online Economy.

The visa liberalisation process for Kosovo is now a protracted phase, and this extension shows about the EU's approach to Kosovo. The plight of recognition by the 5 EU member states, the inability to have a unique foreign policy in relation to Kosovo are some of the main problems the EU has had in relation to visa liberalisation for Kosovo”.

He says that as long as there is no obvious progress in dialogue with Serbia, the EU will not proceed with visa liberalisation for Kosovo, EO reports.

“As long as there is no approach to Kosovo and Serbia in the negotiation process under way in Brussels, and despite the good performance Kosovo may have in its internal development processes in the fight against corruption and organised crime still believes the EU will not proceed with visa liberalisation for Kosovo”.

He has further added that economic development, the rule of law and law are goals which should be parallel to the EU integration process.

“As the European Union through visa liberalisation, respectively, has shown a controversial approach to Kosovo, and as such has lost credibility over how the institution could be guarantor of a final agreement with Serbia. Economic development, development of the rule of law and law are objectives that should be parallel to the EU integration process”.