Kosovo is ready to receive citizens who will be evacuated from Afghanistan, but the exact time of their arrival is not yet known.
The President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, said in an interview for the British television channel, Skynews, that the authorities are waiting for information regarding the exact date of arrival of these persons in Kosovo.
"It is only a matter of days. It will certainly depend on how their transportation will be organized, because the process is organized by the United States. We will know [the time of their arrival] probably by the end of this week," she declared.
The exact number of Afghan refugees that Kosovo will accept is not yet known, but President Osmani has stated that they are working on expanding the capacities to accept as many of them as possible.
"We are already ready to accept the first refugees. Now we are increasing the capacity so that we can accept more [refugees]. Therefore, I cannot mention the final number [of the refugees who will come] until the study of each location that we can accept them in Kosovo is completed", Osmani stated.
According to her, five Kosovar citizens have so far been evacuated from Afghanistan and the Foreign Ministry of Kosovo has made telephone lines available for other citizens who may need evacuation from there.
Kosovo was one of the first countries to respond positively to a US request to shelter Afghans who have been cooperating with US forces since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan.
The United States government will cover all expenses for Afghans who will be sheltered in different countries of the world - including in Kosovo - until the legal procedures for them to settle in the USA are completed.
From the states of the region, Albania and North Macedonia have expressed their willingness to host Afghans who have cooperated with US and NATO forces and who have worked for foreign organizations.
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