Kosovo Visa Liberalisation Process ‘to Start Soon’

The European Commission is expected to formally open Kosovo’s visa liberalisation process in the coming weeks, Ulrike Lunacek, Rapporteur on Kosovo to the European Parliament, has told Balkan Insight. The Green MEP said she expected the European Commission, EC, to open Kosovo’s path towards the White Schengen list, which allows citizens of a country to travel across most of the European Union without a visa, in the ‘next couple of weeks’.

The news follows the European Parliament’s approval last week of plans for Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina to join the list from January. If the Council of the European Union agrees to extend visa liberalisation to the two Balkan states in November, Kosovars will be the only citizens of the region requiring visas to travel to the EU. The Austrian politician told Balkan Insight that she agreed with some Kosovars’ fears that such a step would transform Kosovo into a ‘ghetto’.

But she said she is optimistic the liberalisation process will be extended to Pristina.
“Even those countries that don’t recognise Kosovo have said that Kosovo needs to be included in visa liberalisation,” she said, referring to the five member states which have yet to recognise Kosovo’s February 2008 declaration of independence. But she added that Kosovo’s image as a country of ‘criminals and corruption’ among certain member states, and increasing scepticism voiced by some major European powers, such as France, over extending visa liberalisation, present obstacles on the road to visa liberalisation for the world’s youngest state.

News source: BalkanInsight link: article