Despite Pressure, Kosovo Hesitates to Set Border Vote

Slovene centre-left MEP Tanja Fajon has added to the chorus of international voices urging Kosovo to get on with ratifying a controversial border deal with Montenegro.

In an interview for Deutsche Welle on Wednesday, Fajon stated that despite the sensitivity of the proposal in Kosovo, the agreement should either be ratified soon - or the politicians in Kosovo should find other alternatives.

The European Union has put ratification of the controversial border agreement with Montenegro at the top of its conditions for visa liberalisation.

"I want to emphasise that this criterion on visa free regime set by the European Commission and the Government of Kosovo has been agreed. If there is something which cannot be accepted and implemented, it is up to the Kosovo parliament and its politicians to propose alternatives," Fajon told Deutsche Welle.

The same issue was also in focus at meetings between the Kosovo Foreign Minister Enver Hoxhaj, Federica Mogherini, the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Johannes Hahn, Commissioner for Enlargement, on Tuesday in Brussels.

According to a statement by the Foreign Ministry, the meetings focused on the visa liberalization process, highlighting the progress achieved by Kosovo, "which brought a positive recommendation from the European Commission about the demarcation [issue] as the only remaining criterion".

 "Today I met Mrs Mogherini and Mr Hahn where the central topic was visa liberalisation for Kosovo citizens, at that moment when Kosovo MPs ratify the demarcation agreement with Montenegro," the minister's statement said.

Prime Minister Isa Mustafa and the speaker of Parliament, Kadri Veseli, held a telephone conversation with US Assistant Secretary of State Hoyt Brian Yee...