The Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighborhood of the European Union, Oliver Varhelyi, has said that the proposal to liberalize visas for Kosovo Serbs with Serbian passports has been supported by the European Parliament, as well as by the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs in the European Parliament.

He called this a good news for Kosovo Serbs. Furthermore, he said that it is a big step for the entire Western Balkans to travel without visas.

“Good news for Kosovo Serbs. Our proposal to allow visa-free travel for Kosovo Serb passport holders was supported by the European Parliament, the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs in the European Parliament. It is a big step towards achieving a visa-free regime for the entire #Western Balkans when you travel to the EU”, he wrote in “X”.

The Government of Kosovo has considered this precedent dangerous.

Klisman Kadiu, media advisor to the Deputy Prime Minister Besnik Bislimi reiterated that “illegal passports issued by Serbia violate the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Kosovo, therefore they cannot be recognized or be a valid travel document”.

“This position risks creating a dangerous precedent, when just over a year ago, a similar attempt to recognize Russian travel documents issued in Ukraine and Georgia was condemned and not accepted by the EU institutions themselves.”

Kadiu has said that this decision has a negative impact on the integration of the Serbian community in Kosovo, but also on the dialogue process.

“The postponement of this proposal has a negative impact on the integration of the Serbian community in Kosovo, but also on the dialogue process. From the moment when this proposal was initiated by the European Commission, we have continuously informed all EU institutions about the consequences and negative effects of such a decision,” he said.