No visa liberalisation for Kosovo this year

Gazeta Express

06/12/2019 11:30

The Council of the European Union will not grant Kosovo with visa-free entry to Schengen in December. A source within the EU told Gazeta Express that this issue is not in the agenda of the EU Council of ministers this year.  

“I can confirm that this topic is not expected to be included in the agenda of the EU council before the end of this year,” a source told Gazeta Express. After the European Commission recommended visa liberalisation for Kosovo and was confirmed by the European Parliament, now it is up to the EU Council to decide on this issue. “Discussions on visa liberalisation for Kosovo currently are being discussed at the technical level within the Council. I cannot comment when this issue will be discussed by the EU council,” the source said.

Visa liberalisation for Kosovo is not one of the priorities of Finland, which holds the EU’s rotating presidency. Virpi Kankare from the Foreign Ministry of Finland in an answer to Gazeta Express, said they have no additional information of what was stated to Gazeta Express in June that “conditions need to be fulfilled and it is up to the EU Council to decide.”

Despite EU mood on not lifting visas for Kosovo, outgoing prime minister Ramush Haradinaj keeps insisting that visas will be lifted soon adding that a positive decision on visa-free regime might be taken before Christmas this year. Haradinaj refers to the position of German Government who as he said are in favour of liberalising visas for Kosovo citizens. /GazetaExpress/