MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 30th November, 2022) The Council of the European Union has approved visa-free travel regulations for the citizens of Kosovo, the press release said on Wednesday.
"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".
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's citizens 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 state by over 100 UN member states. Of the 27 EU member states, five have not recognized Kosovo's sovereignty.
