"Today we have taken an important step towards visa free travel for Kosovo, and we now hope to reach an agreement with the European Parliament swiftly to make this promise a reality," Czech Minister of Foreign Affairs Jan Lipavsky said.
He noted that the progress on visa-free travel had become possible, thanks to Kosovo’s resilience in improving "border controls, migration management and security," adding that collaboration between the EU and the Western Balkan republic would "only grow stronger in the future".
Kosovar Albanians walk under the EU and Kosovo flags in the main square of Pristina on May 4, 2016.
© AFP 2023 / ARMEND NIMANI
These regulations, if adopted, will allow Kosovo passport holders to travel to the EU without a visa for a total of 90 days in any 180-day period. However, the visa liberalization for Kosovo will not come into effect until the launch of the European Travel Information and Authorisation System, which is scheduled for May 2023.
Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia in 2008, and has since gained recognition as a sovereign nation by around 100 UN member states. Of the 27 EU member states, five have not recognized Kosovo's sovereignty, siding with Belgrade on the issue.