PRISTINA – European Parliament Rapporteur for Kosovo Igor Šoltes stated today that some EU countries have doubts about visa liberalisation for Kosovo, although the decision does not require a unanimous vote in the Council.
Šoltes noted Kosovo’s Minister for European Integration Durata Hoxha that he will continue to meet with EU Ministers and try to persuade them to vote for the liberalisation, Zëri reprted.
According to him, postponing demarcation with Montenegro for over three years has made the process of liberalisation longer.
However, he hopes that the decision will be made before the end of current Parliament’s mandate in May 2019. However, he added that right now there is no precise date.
Hoxhaj: Dialogue with Belgrade should not continue before liberalisation
Deputy Prime Minister of Kosovo Enver Hoxhaj stated that Kosovo has fulfilled every condition for visa liberalisation and insisted on conditioning the continuation of Belgrade-Pristina dialogue with the positive decision on the issue.
“If the EU is nor capable of fulfilling its promises about visa liberalisation, and we have met all the criteria, from first to 95th, why should we believe that the Brussels has the instruments to convince Serbia to recognize Kosovo’s independence? We should be realistic in this approach”, Hoxhaj said.
Kosovo officials promised earlier that the country will receive visa liberalsation by the end of this year.