39 minutes agoVisa liberalisation decision officially signed in European Parliament
Periskopi(3 years ago)
(3 years ago)The European Union's legal act for visa liberalisation for Kosovo has been signed in Strasbourg. A day earlier, on April 18th, the European Parliament approved the visa decision, concluding decision-making procedures on the issue. The approval was made without a vote, as there was no opposition, and it opened the way for Kosovo citizens to [...]
A day earlier, on April 18th, the European Parliament approved the visa decision, concluding decision-making procedures on the issue.
The approval was made without a vote, as there was no opposition, and it opened the way for Kosovo citizens to move visa-free to countries in the Schengen area on January 1st 2024.
Kosovo Deputy Prime Minister Besnik Bislimi has attended the signing ceremony, along with Kosovo Foreign Minister Donika Grovalla-Schwarz.
The signing ceremony was held at the European Parliament headquarters, and headed by the head of this institution, Roberta Metsola.
The ceremony was also a representative of Sweden, since this country leads the European Union in this period.
After signing the decision, the last step remains the publication of the decision in the Official Journal.
Visa-free regimes allow for only 90 days of travel within six months to any member states in the Schengen area.
Visa-free travel should serve for tourist visits, family or similar issues, and in no case does it mean work permits or other benefits.
Kosovo, currently, is the only country in the Western Balkans whose citizens cannot move freely into the Schengen area.
This, despite the fact that the European Commission, since 2018, has confirmed several times that Kosovo has met all the conditions for visa liberalisation, but have been some member states that have consistently expressed reservations.
