"Germany and France putting brakes on Kosovo visa deal"

"Germany and France putting brakes on Kosovo visa deal"

According to this, German newspaper Die Welt said, citing sources close to the German government, that there was "justified fear" the lifting of visa restrictions "could result in massive abuse of asylum requests."

According to the report, German Interior Minister Thomas de Meziere said that is why Germany and France insisted on introducing "a special clause that allows EU members to slow down the visa liberalization process for any country."

Kosovo prime minister's adviser, Abdulah Faton,"confirmed there are concerns of some EU countries in terms of visa liberalization for Kosovo, because of a large number of asylum seekers."

However, according to him, there is "no space to talk about the failure of the process of visa liberalization."

The process concerning Kosovo has been slowed down despite the European Commission's recommendation to liberalize the visa regime with Kosovo, as well as Ukraine, Georgia and Turkey.

Last week, Zeri wrote that the European Parliament and the EU Council of Ministers would not make a decision on visa liberalization for Kosovo before the fall.

Citing unnamed sources in Brussels, the daily stated at the time that the postponement was affected by "the suspension of the decision on the abolition of visas for Turkish citizens."

Members of the Committee for European Integration stated, according to the same report, that the Kosovo government "should become a lot more involved in persuading some countries that do not look kindly on visa liberalization for Kosovo to change their position."

Kosovo President Hashim Thaci said in early March it was "a question of hours, not days" before Kosovo would receive the news "on free movement of citizens."

An unnamed diplomat told Die Welt two weeks ago that visa liberalization process for Turkey, Georgia, Kosovo and Ukraine will be conditioned, and different compared to previous practice.

The source who spoke on condition of anonymity told the newspaper the EU will accept a "special agreement" with Turkey, that would later be applied to Georgia, Ukraine and Kosovo.

In the case of Turkey, the deal will be suspended automatically if Ankara stops receiving refugees located in Greece. According to this, visa liberalization with Ukraine will be suspended if the country fails to respect the agreements reached with Russia, while asylum seekers coming to the EU zone would be the reason to suspend the visa-free regime with Kosovo and Georgia.