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.

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama during an official visit to Slovenia criticized the EU for not relaxing visa procedures for the people of Kosovo and said he hoped the border demarcation with Montenegro would not affect the EU’s decision. Rama said it is shameful for the EU that the people of Kosovo are the only ones that cannot move freely like the rest in Europe. He stressed that the Albanian government strongly supports dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia and that recognition of Kosovo would not only benefit Serbia but would also facilitate cooperation processes.

Kosovo’s Minister for European Integration, Bekim Collaku, said in an interview for RTV Dukagjini that the latest by January next year, the people of Kosovo will be able to travel without visas in EU member states. Collaku said Brussels once again confirmed for Kosovo’s European future with the positive vote by the European Parliament’s Committee for Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs.

Kosovo’s Minister for European Integration, Bekim Çollaku, said he expects good news from today’s meeting of the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) regarding the visa liberalisation process for Kosovo. “I think everyone is aware of what are the requirements of EU institutions, including those of the European Parliament, but since this voting is not final, I hope and expect the MEPs to express their support for this stage. This would allow the process to move forward,” said Çollaku.

Kosovo’s Minister for European Integration, Bekim Çollaku, met today with the outgoing Special Representative of the European Union and head of the EU Office in Kosovo, Samuel Zbogar. Çollaku thanked Zbogar for his contribution and tireless work in promoting the European agenda for Kosovo. Çollaku also said that cooperation and the work done over the last couple of years culminated with the signing of the Stabilisation/Association Agreement and the visa liberalisation recommendation for Kosovo.

Kosovo’s European Integration Minister, Bekim Çollaku, said on Wednesday that the European Union might not discuss the visa liberalization issue for Kosovo if the Kosovo Assembly does not ratify the border-demarcation agreement with Montenegro.  “The European Parliament has made it clear that the ratification of this agreement is a condition for visa liberalization. If the Assembly does not ratify the border-demarcation agreement, the EU might not even discuss the visa liberalization issue,” Çollaku said.

Several media report that Kosovo Prime Minister, Isa Mustafa, has welcomed the news that the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee has adopted the proposal for visa-free travel for Kosovo’s citizens. Mustafa wrote on his Facebook account: “Today we received very good news from the Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament, where the recommendation for visa-free travel for the people of Kosovo was adopted with a majority vote.

The European Parliament urged the lifting of visas restrictions for three EU neighbouring countries, Ukraine, Georgia and Kosovo. There were three separate votes, one for each country, and the Foreign Affairs MEP voted in favour of visas liberalisation in all the three cases. This will be a great step to foster cooperation and exchange between countries in the Western Balkan and Eastern Europe.

The European Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee has voted today in favour of the proposal for granting visa liberalisation to Kosovo citizens. The news was announced by the European Parliament Vice President and rapporteur for Kosovo, Ulrike Lunacek. “It is now time for Kosovo politicians to act,” tweeted Lunacek after the vote. Kosovo’s Minister for European Integration, Bekim Çollaku, hailed the news as an important step towards the final decision for visa liberalisation.

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.