Kosovo: Opposition party opens tear gas in parliament to halt voting

The tear gas was opened by the lawmakers of opposition party,  Levizja Vetvendosje, to stop voting on the Border Demarcation Agreement.

The ratification of the border deal will facilitate the Kosovo citizens to experience visa-free travel to the European Union, Avni Bycyti, deputy chief of staff to Speaker, told CNN.

Regarding the halting of voting, Speaker Kadri Veseli told CNN, "The Border Demarcation Agreement will be approved by the parliament today, in spite of the attempts of a small opposition party to prevent the vote with violent means."

"We will not give up to violence and populism. This approval will serve to reinforce the sovereignty of our country and will unblock our path towards European Integration."

The border deal was signed with Montenegro in 2015.

The opposition party has offered resistance to the ratification of the deal saying it will hand over certain square miles of Kosovo's territory.

Regarding the incident, United States Ambassador to Kosovo, Greg Delawie, tweeted, "I would urge MPs to vote yes on the Border Demarcation Agreement. I encourage them to vote yes for Europe. I encourage them to vote yes for progress for #Kosovo. This issue has tied things up for too long now. It is time for Kosovo to move forward."

Kosovo, a territory in Southeastern Europe, was declared as an independent state from Serbia in 2008.