Kosovo, Bosnia abolish visas

Thanks to the German government's diplomatic commitment, Western Balkan countries have agreed Friday in Berlin to sign three new agreements within regional co-operation. It was announced Friday in Berlin, German Minister of Foreign Affairs Annalena Baerbock, within the Berlin Process countries' ministerial ministerial ministerial ministers.

Visa Removing Between Kosovo and Bosnia 

Three agreements envision free movement with identity cards of persons among Western Balkan countries, recognition of university diplomas and recognition of qualifications for three professions -- doctors, dentists and architects.

German Minister of Foreign Affairs stressed Friday during the opening address at the conference that the greatest benefit for people from Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina who will not need visas to visit each other. This means that Kosovo youth and Bosniaks will visit each other without visas, which for us Europeans is common. It means students from Albania can use their basic degree to work in northern Macedonia, and for architects from Serbia to work in Montenegro”. Backock said these deals facilitated the way to establishing a Joint Regional Market.

Removing tariffs for recognition of diplomas and qualifications

Compared to the German government's special envoy for the Western Balkans, Manuel Sarrazin, the Sarajevo-based Regional Co-operation Council has worked on reaching the agreements. His secretary-general, Majlinda Bregu, explained that thanks to the agreement now the graduates will no longer need to pay fees of 200 to 500 euros for mutual recognition of diplomas. With this agreement, this cost will be zero. For citizens this is a real profit”, she said. Bregu said that thanks to the people's free movement agreement, the last <x2mur of the visa regime in the Western Balkans, the one between Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina” falls.

Recalling the Berlin Process's first so far success, the removal of roting tariffs, Bregu said that “now is the time to lift the roting tariffs between the Western Balkans and the EU. ”

Final signing is expected on 3 November

The final document will be signed at the November 3rd summit in Berlin, in the presence of all leaders of Western Balkan states and governments and of the other ten participating Berlin Process countries, as well as representatives of the Council of the European Union and the EU Commission.

The agreements reached are three of the four agreements the leaders of the Western Balkan states had agreed on since the Sofia summit in November 2020, at the time under the former Merkel council. But they remained unexplored due to the lack of political will of Kosovo and Serbia. Kosovo insisted that she participate in these agreements as the Republic of Kosovo, which Serbia declined. The compromise achieved, it seems, has overcome these disputes. Diplomaticly, the DW was given that a diplomatic language with which both Kosovo and Serbia can live has been chosen. / DW