EC confirms: Visa liberalization does not apply to passports issued by Serbia

2023-04-21 18:19:12, Kosova & Bota CNA

EC confirms: Visa liberalization does not apply to passports issued by Serbia

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The visa liberalization that was approved for Kosovo applies only to Kosovo passport holders, but not to those citizens of Kosovo who have passports issued by the Serbian authorities, European Commission officials confirmed.

Spokesperson Anita Hipper said in a written statement to Radio Free Europe that "the visa regime will remain valid only for those citizens in Kosovo whose passports are issued by the Coordinating Administration of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Serbia." .

Serbs in Kosovo were excluded from visa liberalization even when Serbia got rid of them in 2009.

However, the European Commission said that they are working to ensure that all citizens of the Western Balkan region enjoy freedom of movement in what is known as the Schengen area, which consists of dozens of European countries.

"As we move forward with visa liberalization for Kosovo, the EU is determined to ensure that all citizens of the Western Balkans are included in the EU visa-free regime, provided the conditions for safe travel are in place," Hipper said. .

After the signing of the legal act for the liberalization of visas for Kosovo, on April 19, the rapporteur for visas of the European Parliament, Thijs Reuten, also said that the lifting of visas only applies to Kosovo passports.

"[The legislation] is very carefully worded, as it says, nothing more, nothing less: citizens of Kosovo with a document issued by the Kosovo authorities can travel freely," he said.

The decision on free movement for citizens of Kosovo is expected to enter into force on January 1, 2024.

Citizens of Serbia with a residential address in Kosovo are issued passports by the Coordinating Administration, which operates within the Ministry of the Interior of Serbia.

In 2009, Serbia had to form this body to ensure visa liberalization for itself.

Before this time, Serbian citizens residing in Kosovo received their passports from the Police Directorates, which the official Belgrade moved to the cities of Serbia, after the war in Kosovo in 1999.

Kosovo does not recognize these passports, because it considers that they are issued by "parallel illegal institutions"./ REL