EU to introduce visa-free regime with Kosovo from 2024

The European Union will introduce a visa-free regime with partially recognized Kosovo from January 1, 2024, said Anita Hipper, representative of the European Commission.

“The visa-free regime with Kosovo will come into force on January 1, 2024. The European Commission welcomes the agreement reached yesterday between the European Parliament and the Council of the EU on this proposal of the European Commission,” – leads her words TASS.

Residents of Kosovo will be able to visit the EU visa-free for up to 90 days in any period of 180 days, Hipper added.

April 18 European Parliament approved easing the visa regime for Kosovo, they noted that the partially recognized state has become the last Balkan country that has not yet been granted visa-free travel.

According to the Serbian constitution, the territory of Kosovo is part of the Republic of Serbia and is part of it as the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija, but in fact Kosovo is not controlled by the Serbian authorities. The republic unilaterally declared independence in February 2008 and has been actively trying to join international organizations, including UNESCO and Interpol, in recent years.

Kosovo, which applied for EU membership in December last year, has been recognized by about 100 countries, including 22 of the 27 EU member states (Cyprus, Greece, Romania, Slovakia and Spain have not recognized). Kosovo is not a member of the UN. Russia does not recognize the independence of Kosovo. In the north of the partially recognized republic, a Serbian minority continues to live – about 5% of the total Kosovo population (in the early 1990s – more than 10%), or about 100,000 people.