Assessment Mission meeting held on Visa Liberalisation

Assessment Mission will verify the applicability of the criteria arising from the roadmap, recommendations identified in the latest report for visas.

On this occasion, Minister Çitaku said: “We expect representatives of relevant institutions to present the achievements in the areas that are being evaluated, then legal and policy framework will be presented, institutional development, human and financial resources, and what is more important, during this assessment mission a trend of implementation will be presented, as this is the most important part of this assessment mission. While presenting the trend, the experts of assessment mission will be able to better value the dedication, commitment and the work that we have done so far”.   

Minister Çitaku also added that: “The prepared report was also submitted to the assessment mission. This is a comprehensive report followed by many annexes. The report is prepared and shared with experts of assessment mission, and is worth to mention the statistics that present a positive trend. At the same time, it presents success, readiness and it shows how much it has been done, and it also presents the real achievements and sustainability of the actions we have taken. In other words, all this time we have taken proactive actions which first contributed to the rule of law and statehood, and at the same time have advanced our integration agenda, respectively visa liberalization”. 
On his part, Minister Rexhepi stressed the need for harmonized statistical data, and asked relevant officials that this information be presented as accurately as possible to the European Commission Assessors. Minister Rexhepi further said that liberalization requirements are met. Minister also said that: “There is a good interagency cooperation to combat organized crime with the investigation, the courts, but also with EULEX.”

While from the European Commission representatives, the Head of Visa Liberalisation Assessment Mission,  Mr. Ioan – Dragos Tudorache, said: “Kosovo is on track towards fulfilling the criteria that arise from the visa liberalization roadmap, this process will not be affected by the elections in   European Union, or in Kosovo. This process requires fulfilment of criteria techniques, and it is important that we have achieved a good communication between institutions and that you have set a good legislation to meet the criteria for visa liberalization, and that this commitment must continue even after the removal of the visa regime for Kosovo”.

Assessment Mission will hold meetings with officials of central and local level, as well as inspecting border checkpoints through the entire territory of Kosovo; therefore, coordination is being carried out to present comprehensive implementation of all requirements that have emerged from the visa liberalisation roadmap.

At the end of the meeting, Minister Çitaku thanked all the participants involved in this process for the excellent work they have done so far, and demanded an additional commitment at this stage because this is when our achievements must be presented correctly. At the same time, she requested that this commitment continues during the ongoing of this process.