I am in Pristina, Kosovo for two days. The purpose of the visit is to launch a visa dialogue with the country. All Balkan countries today, except for Kosovo, enjoy visa freedom with the EU. Being able to visit family and friends or go for a holiday or a business trip without having to go through complicated visa procedures, is an excellent way to increase people to people contact. My aim is to remove as many visa requirements with countries outside the EU as possible.
In order for visa freedom to work, there are of course conditions. We require (as all countries do) that the country in question has a well functioning border control, that they fight corruption and organized crime, that there are proper asylum procedures in place etc. Kosovo has just fulfilled the first conditions for initiating a dialogue, which I launched today with the Prime Minister Thaci.
The next step is to develop a so-called Roadmap where further areas of reform will be listed. With that list, which must be approved by the Council of Ministers, we can then start the real negotiations. It will probably take some time but from the Commission side, we will do everything possible to support reforms, which also involves a consolidation of the democratic development of the country.
I have also met with several Ministers, I have visited the EULEX (the EU rule of law mission in Kosovo) and visited a centre for rehabilitation of trafficking victims. It was very emotional talking to the girls at the centre who are now getting help returning to normal life after the horrific experience.
Tonight awaits a dinner with a number of representatives of civil society, journalists, NGOs, etc.
