Status: 12/14/2022 7:53 p.m
The EU has agreed: Citizens from Kosovo should be allowed to enter the European Union without a visa by 2024 at the latest. This is just a first step for the government in Pristina: today they applied for EU membership.
The EU has agreed in principle on visa-free entry for the citizens of Kosovo. As announced by the EU Parliament and the Council of the EU member states, Kosovars should be able to stay in the EU member states twice a year for 90 days without a visa by the beginning of 2024 at the latest. According to its own information, the government of Kosovo today officially applied for membership of the EU.
Kosovo is the only one of the six Western Balkan countries that has not yet benefited from an EU-wide visa waiver. Dutch MEP Thijs Reuten, who led the European Parliament team negotiating the new entry rules, spoke of a “very important moment” for Kosovo’s “European future”.
Papers for EU accession signed
“This is a historic moment for our country, with which we want to open a new chapter for our state and our society,” said Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti. He signed the papers required for the application together with President Vjosa Osmani and Parliament Speaker Glauk Konjufca. They are to be sent to the Czech EU Council Presidency by the end of the week.
However, the accession process for Kosovo is likely to be lengthy and complicated. Like its neighbor Serbia, EU member states Spain, Greece, Cyprus, Romania and Slovakia also refuse to recognize Kosovo’s independence. Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia in 2008, but is still considered a breakaway territory by Belgrade.
Eight countries are currently considered EU accession candidates: Turkey, Ukraine and Moldova – as well as North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Albania in the Western Balkans – and since Monday Bosnia-Herzegovina. It may be years, if not decades, before all countries are included.