People from Kosovo sentenced for crimes in Switzerland could soon be able to serve their punishments in their own country – and the same would go for Swiss in Kosovo.

The Federal Justice Office said on Monday it hoped to conclude a bilateral agreement on the issue by the end of the year.

At present, transferring Kosovars who have been sentenced in Switzerland to their country of origin is not possible, said Mario Michel Affentranger, responsible for international treaties at the Justice Office.

Kosovo cannot adhere to Council of Europe conventions on the matter because Kosovo’s independence is contested by several states. As a result, Switzerland has decided to negotiate bilaterally with Pristina.

Kosovo declared independence from Serbia on February 17, 2008, with Switzerland recognising it ten days later.

A Swiss delegation is set to travel to Kosovo this week to continue negotiations.

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