Document urging Montenegro, Macedonia to impose Kosovo visas

The European Commission has compiled a report in which Montenegro and North Macedonia are asked to establish visa regimes for Kosovo.

The report is thus named “Report by the Commission for the European Parliament and the Council for the Fifth Report under the visa suspension mechanism”.

To this EC request compiled in Brussels on December 5th of this year, Kosovo's ambassador to Brussels, Agron Bajrami, has also reacted.

According to him, it is unacceptable and disturbing that the European Commission has reproved Montenegro and North Macedonia, which have not established a visa regime against Kosovo.

“Absolutely unacceptable that the European Commission has listed Kosovo as one of the third world states that need visas, urging Montenegro and North Macedonia to adopt visa regimes for Kosovo! It is particularly disturbing, since Kosovo has been unjustly denied visa liberalisation for years. Double, after all of this comes after the Berlin Process agreements”, he wrote in his Twitter account.

Klan Kosova has secured this report and translated paragraphs where the two Western Balkan countries are reproved for failing to establish the visa regime towards Kosovo.

b) Ensuring further harmonisation of Montenegro's visa policy with the list of third countries for which visas are required for the EU, especially those third countries that present irregular migration or security risks for the EU.

Montenegro has taken no action to harmonise its visa policy with the list of countries for which visas are required for the EU. Rather, in 2021 and early 2022, Montenegro moved further from recommended politics. Citizens from Armenia, Kazakhstan, Russia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Cuba, Ecuador, Turkey, Qatar and Kosovo* continue to be excluded from visa requirements for short stay. For some nationalities, exceptions are seasonal, and for others, they are valid throughout the year.

b) Ensuring further integration of Northern Macedonia's visa policy with the list of third countries for which visas are required for the EU, especially those third countries that present irregular migration or security risks for the EU.

Northern Macedonia has not taken action in 2021 to further harmonise the country's visa policy with that of the EU. Citizens of the following countries, to whom visas are required for the EU, still enjoy visa-free access to northern Macedonia: Azerbaijan, Botswana, Cuba, El Salvador, Kosovo* and Turkey. Any further deviation from the EU's list of countries required for visas should be avoided. Northern Macedonia must secure progress in bringing its policy closer to the EU list, especially with regard to those third countries presenting irregular migration or security risks for the EU. This will be an important topic of continued dialogue between the EU and North Macedonia. In the context of the visa suspension mechanism and in line with Article 8 of the visa rule, the Commission will constantly monitor and assess Macedonia's action towards visa harmonisation with the EU.