US Reiterates Call for Kosovo-Montenegro Border Deal

A top U.S. State Department official on Wednesday urged Kosovo officials to ratify a border demarcation agreement with Montenegro, the last remaining criteria to be fulfilled before Kosovo can benefit from visa-free travel to the European Schengen zone.

Shortly after meeting with Kosovar President Hashim Thaci in Pristina, Hoyt Brian Yee, the deputy assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, told VOA's Albanian Service that he encouraged the new government "to seize the opportunity where the last government was not able to."

Kosovo's opposition prevented the previous parliament from voting on the border agreement, which was signed with Montenegro more than two years ago.

Immediately after taking office in September, Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj decided to disband the commission in charge of the border demarcation with Montenegro....