PRISTINA (Kosovo), July 18 (SeeNews) – Kosovo has fulfilled all benchmarks set out in the visa liberalisation roadmap, the European Commission confirmed on Wednesday .
“Kosovo has met the two outstanding visa liberalisation requirements on the ratification of the border demarcation agreement with Montenegro and a strenghtened track record in the fight against crime and corruption,” the European Commission said in a statement following a meeting between EU commissioner for migration Dimitris Avramopoulos and Kosovo president Hashim Thaci.
“I now call on the European Parliament and the Council to swiftly adopt our proposal on lifting visa requirements for Kosovo citizens. This will be an important moment for Kosovo, for the entire Western Balkan region, and for Europe as a whole,” Avramopoulos said, adding that he also count on Kosovo to continue addressing both migration and security challenges, including the fight against corruption.
The visa liberalisation dialogue with Kosovo was launched in 2012. Since then, the Commission has continuously monitored the fulfilment of the requirements contained in the visa liberalisation roadmap.
"Today's report confirms that Kosovo has met the 2 remaining benchmarks, since the Commission presented its 4th progress report in May 2016,” the statement reads.
The Commission's proposal to lift the visa requirements for Kosovo citizens now needs to be adopted by the European Parliament and the Council.
The European Commission is considering Kosovo to be a potential candidate for EU membership.