The European Parliament approved today the decision on the liberalization of visas for the citizens of Kosovo – thus the procedures for this issue are coming to an end.

The approval was made without a vote, as there were no objections.

“I have not received any proposal to reject the position of the Council [of EU ministers] and no amendment. Therefore, the position of the Council has been approved and the proposed act has been approved”, said the President of the EP, Roberta Metsola.

A day later, on April 19, the legal act for the liberalization of visas will be signed, while the only step that must be taken after that is the publication of the decision in the Official Gazette of the EU and its entry into force.

After the decision in the EP, the press office of the Prime Minister of Kosovo reacted by emphasizing that visa liberalization is now a reality.

“Today, the final decision on visa liberalization was voted positively in the European Parliament. It will be officially signed the next day in Strasbourg by the European Parliament and the Council of the EU, where the first deputy prime minister for European Integration, Development and Dialogue, Besnik Bislimi, will be present. The decision will be published in the official gazette and enters into force 20 days after publication. According to this decision, the citizens of the Republic of Kosovo will be able to move without visas in the Schengen zone and that no later than January 1, 2024”, says the press release of the Prime Minister’s Office.

The new visa waiver rules for Kosovo will allow citizens to travel to the EU without a visa for a stay of 90 days in any 180-day period.

Kosovo had fulfilled all the conditions for the liberalization of visas in time, but until now there was a lack of consensus among the member countries for the advancement of the process. Thanks to the work of the Government, especially in the field of the rule of law, the fight against corruption and migration management, the process was unblocked and the EU institutions and member countries were convinced that Kosovo deserves the end of the visa liberalization process and that the country has done significant progress and achievements in relevant fields.

After a long wait, this is a key moment of the approximation of Kosovo to the European family.

/a.p/