Former Minister Ferid Agani: This year citizens will have visa liberalisation

Agan has said he has begun to change Kosovo's image in the international arena even to those states that have been skeptical.

I think that thanks to the serious efforts the Government of Kosovo has made in the battle against corruption and organised crime has begun to change Kosovo's image in the international arena, even in terms of states that have had reservations for visa liberalisation. We are on the right track and I do not want to lose words talking about how unfair the European community has been in relation to Kosovo in terms of visa liberalisation, which are being postponed year by year. I think we can expect good news in the months to come. I hope this year will be the year the country's citizens will begin to move freely in European space. As for the Council of Europe, I think it was the government's appropriate act that applied. There are reservations, of course, but I think these obstacles that we have ahead of us have to be faced with work, commitment. In addition to the major engagement in the international arena that needs to be realised, it is important to have a high degree of consensus with other political subjects of the ruling party”, Agani told Online Economy.

While in terms of dialogue, Agani said Kosovo's position in the relationship with Serbia is evidently more favourable than it was before the government came to power.

“As regards the government's impasses in the dialogue I think that in this regard we can be satisfied because Kosovo's negotiating position in the relationship with Serbia is evidently more favourable than it was before the government came to power. And I think that in the coming period it is necessary for the US to achieve a higher degree of consensus within the country. This is one of the government's shortcomings because I don't see that they are generating a high degree of consensus on major topics related to important reforms in our society”, he said.

Agan said that the Kurti Government is facing the energy crisis, inflation and pandemic.

According to him, because of these difficulties, the government has not had expected results in some of the important social segments in the health and education sector.

I think the Government is making efforts and trying to confront it to provide answers to numerous challenges. It's one of the governments that's faced with global crises that haven't been present in actual size. I'm talking about the energy crisis, the inflation that is affecting large numbers of states, the pandemic crisis and the effects of the virus as a financial economical aspect. So in these difficult circumstances that have worked then, there should be understanding even in terms that there have not been expected results in some of the important social segments in the health sector, and education. Here we are expected to have more powerful moves towards reform of the existing situation, but this is missing”.