Regular meeting of the Steering Committee for Visa Liberalization

At the meeting, findings of the assessment mission, which at this stage has monitored the achievements of Kosovo Institutions in relevant visa liberalization fields such as: Repatriation, Reintegration, Documents Security, Migration and Asylum, was discussed. Fact-finding mission assessed the implementation of criteria derived from visa liberalisation roadmap, and is expected by this fact-finding mission to draft and publish a report during the first months of next year.

On this occasion, Prime Minister Thaçi stated that:” Our internal evaluations, but also those from international organizations, highly appreciate the progress that has been achieved in the area of repatriation, reintegration, documents security and other fields relevant for visa liberalization process, thus in all roadmap blocks for visa liberalization have marked a significant progress. This progress, is assessed by the fact-finding mission of EU experts, who have resided in Kosovo during the first week of December and who are drafting a fact-finding mission’s report, which will be shared as soon the possible”.

In addition, Prime Minister Thaçi stated “We have requested the representatives of the EU, to have even greater interaction, to have more fact-finding missions, to have more frequent reports by them, and in general to intensify visa liberalization agenda by Brussels.” He also sought to intensify the work even more since the implementation of the criteria is primarily in the interest of the country, is for the benefit of our citizens and also contributes to the advancement of visa liberalization and integration of the country in the EU, therefore we need to show much more concrete and measurable results that will we will present them within and outside of our country”.
In her remarks, Minister Çitaku, informed the members of the steering committee on the preliminary findings of the fact-finding mission, urged from them to address the preliminary findings with high priority and urged that concrete measures be undertaken to implement the criteria from the visa liberalization portion which is not assessed until now. On this occasion, Minister Çitaku stated: “We must commit to implementing the criteria in the field of integration management, security and public order, respectively, we need concrete results in fighting of organized crime, corruption, trafficking in drugs, human beings, etc..

We need to present a better inter-institutional and international cooperation in addition Kosovo Police, Prosecution and Courts should have the even better indicators of performance.”

Whereas, regarding irregular migration, Minister Çitaku invited participants to undertake appropriate measures to reduce the number of irregular migrants from Kosovo, since this is the main challenge of the visa liberalization process.

Whereas regarding the implementation of criteria from the fourth block, Minister Çitaku stated: “We need to mark progress in the integration of Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian Communities into Kosovo’s society, we need concrete results of the work that we are doing in this regard.”
At the end of the meeting Minister Çitaku thanked all the participants involved in this process for the excellent work they have performed so far and urged an additional commitment at this stage, because this is the moment when our achievements should be presented in the best way possible. Simultaneously, she urged that this commitment to prevail further also in the continuation of this process.