The PM has confirmed that the visa-free agreement will finally start to be implemented on January 1, 2024, marking the culmination of a long-awaited and delayed procedure, according to EU Helpers.
The German Embassy in Kosovo earlier this week confirmed Kosovo's inclusion in the group of Western Balkan neighbors that do not require a visa to travel to nations in the European Union for brief stays.
As a result, beginning on January 1, 2024, holders of Kosovo passports will be permitted to travel to any of the EU's Schengen Zone states and stay there for 90 days within a 180-day period beginning on the date of entry, for purposes including tourism, business, family visits, cultural and sporting events, or official visits, among others.
The EU approved the visa waiver agreement for Kosovo passport holders in April of this year. But after French President Emmanuel Macron suggested that his nation would reconsider the promises it has made on political and economic problems of visas for Kosovo and Serbia, concerns arose.
Such statements were criticized by Viola von Cramon, the European Parliament's Kosovo rapporteur, who emphasized that the conversation with Serbia is not and should not be a part of this process. On the other hand, Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani had issued a warning that any suspension of Kosovars' ability to enter the EU without a visa would effectively put an end to negotiations with Serbia.
Brussels emphasized that even if Kosovo and Serbia want to join the EU, they should first settle their conflict through a mediated conversation.
Kosovo formally submitted its application for membership in the EU on December 14 of last year and is awaiting the completion of the process. Kosovo should join the alliance by 2029, according to Gunther Fehlinger, the NGO's chair of the European Committee for NATO.