EU agrees on draft regulation for Kosovo's visa liberalization

By Talha Ozturk

BELGRADE, Serbia (AA) - The European Union Council Presidency and Parliament on Wednesday agreed on a draft regulation on visa-free travel for Kosovo citizens.

"The agreed text now needs to be approved by the Council and the European Parliament before going through the formal adoption procedure," said a statement from European Council.

The new rules would allow Kosovo passport holders to travel to the EU without a visa for a period of 90 days in any 180-day period.

This exemption from the visa requirement would apply from the start date for the operation of the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) and in any case no later than Jan. 1, 2024.

Kosovo's top officials on Wednesday signed an official application for the country to join the European Union.

The signed application will be submitted to the Czech Republic, which currently presides over the European Union.

Kosovo, predominantly inhabited by Albanians, broke away from Serbia in 1999 and declared independence in 2008. It aspires for EU membership and aims to gain a visa-free regime for the EU zone.

But Serbia has not recognized Kosovo’s independence and sees its former province as its territory.

Kosovo is also not a member of NATO or the United Nations.

In early December, European Council President Charles Michel said the EU will give an update on Kosovo's visa liberalization.

Kosovo is among a handful of countries in Europe which is outside the EU’s visa-free regime.

Spain, Slovakia, Cyprus, Romania, and Greece are the EU member countries that do not recognize the independence of Kosovo.