European Parliament Rapporteur for visa liberalisation for Kosovo, Tanja Fajon, said today at the summit of European countries Foreign Affairs Parliamentary Committees taking place in Pristina that Kosovo needs to ratify border demarcation agreement with Montenegro to pave way for visa-free travel. “I would like to offer support for demarcation. I urge the legislators not to stop processes and visa liberalisation for political interests. Utmost efforts need to be made to ratify the agreement in the coming days,” Fajon said.

Kosovo’s Foreign Minister, Enver Hoxhaj, met in the framework of the Bled Strategic Forum the European Parliament’s rapporteur on visa liberalisation for Kosovo, Tanja Fajon. Hoxhaj hailed yesterday’s European Parliament civil liberties committee (LIBE) vote to move forward with the visa liberalisation process but noted that there will be no positive decision until Kosovo Assembly ratifies border demarcation agreement with Montenegro. “This is the key message conveyed to me today by Tanja Fajon,” said Hoxhaj.

EWB Op-Ed by Tanja Fajon, member of the European Parliament

While I’m at the Gare de Paris Est station, waiting for the train to Strasbourg, where the final plenary session of the European Parliamant before the summer break is about to happen, I am trying to summarize the impressions from the Civil Society Forum held today in Paris, as a part of the summit of the Western Balkans region.

The European Parliament's rapporteur on visa liberalization for Kosovo informed the parliament's Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs on Tuesday that insufficient progress had been made in Kosovo on ratification of a border agreement with Montenegro.

Tanja Fajon said she had expected a swifter reaction from Kosovo, 10 months after the two governments' ministers inked the agreement.

The first debate at the European Parliament on the proposal of the European Commission for granting visa liberalisation for Kosovo is expected to take place this Thursday. Even though the majority of European Parliament members support the view of lifting visa requirements for the people of Kosovo, the voting procedure could extend beyond summer. The newly-appointed European Parliament rapporteur for the visa liberalization for Kosovo, Tanja Fajon, said she has an ambitious visa liberalisation plan.

Tanja Fajon, who was also Rapporteur for visa liberalization for Western Balkans, was nominated Rapporteur for visa liberalization for Kosovo. She will be preparing the report which will be initially discussed and voted at the Parliamentary Commission then at the plenary session of the European Parliament.

Even though Kosovo has a strong support of the European Parliament MPs, the procedure requires time and it is not easy to foresee how long it will take.

The Prime Minister of Kosovo, Isa Mustafa, hosted today a meeting with the European Parliament delegation, which will participate at the meeting of the EU-Kosovo Parliamentary Commission for the Stabilization Association Agreement (SAA). A press release issued by the Office of the Prime Minister informs that the EU delegation lead by Tonino Picula, is comprised of Ulrike Lunacek, Dubravka Suica, Tanja Fajon, Jozo Rados, Georgios Kyrtsos and Julie Ward.