Kosovo Not Ready for Border Demarcation With Montenegro

Kosovo's new prime minister said Wednesday his government has no set deadline for resolving the impasse over the ratification of a border demarcation deal with Montenegro.

Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj, speaking in Albania on his first trip abroad since taking the post earlier this month, said his Cabinet was working on the issue and would talk with Montenegro "when we have a clearer situation of our findings."

Last week Haradinaj named a new government commission on border demarcation and maintenance.

The border agreement was signed in 2015, but has not enjoyed sufficient parliamentary support from the previous opposition, in which Haradinaj's party was a member, saying the deal meant a loss of territory.

The former opposition political parties, which are now split between the government coalition and the opposition in the new parliament, claimed the deal meant Kosovo would lose over 8,000 hectares (20,000 acres) of land. The former Cabinet, international experts and the country's Western backers dispute that claim.

The European Union insists Kosovo must approve the border demarcation deal before its citizens enjoy visa-free travel within the Schengen zone.

Montenegro has recognized Kosovo's 2008 declaration of independence from Serbia, but Serbia vehemently opposes it.