UPDATE - EU lifts visa requirement for Kosovo Serbs

ADDS REMARKS FROM KOSOVO'S PRESIDENT

By Talha Ozturk

BELGRADE, Serbia (AA) – The Council of the European Union adopted a regulation Monday removing a visa requirement for holders of Serbian passports issued by the Serbian Coordination Directorate.

The regulation takes effect after it is published in the Official Journal of the EU.

Ethnic Serbs with passports issued by Serbia's Directorate for Kosovo can now cross the external borders of EU member states without a visa.

Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Duric welcomed the decision in a statement on X, describing it as a small but significant victory for Serb human rights in Kosovo.

However, Kosovo's government objected to the council's decision, arguing that recognizing documents issued by Serbian-run "parallel" institutions would violate Kosovo's sovereignty and discourage the Serbian community’s integration.

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani slammed the Council of the European Union’s decision.

Osmani said the decision goes against Kosovo's constitution and laws as well as the EU's own rule

''Illegal Serbian passports issued outside Kosovo harm the citizens of Kosovo, the multi-ethnic character of Kosovo, as well as the EU itself,'' said Osmani's media adviser, Bekim Kupina.

According to Kupina, the recognition of "these illegal passports by the EU sabotages the process of integration of the Serbian community in Kosovo.”

About 18,000 Serbian residents of Kosovo who hold these passports can travel visa-free to the European Union.

The move ensures that all Western Balkan residents are subject to the same visa regime.

Serbian citizens with biometric passports have been exempted from visa requirements since 2009. However, the regime did not apply to passports issued by the Serbian Coordination Directorate for Kosovo in Belgrade. The European Commission proposed the change in 2023.

Meanwhile, Kosovo citizens have been able to travel visa-free through the passport-free Schengen zone since January 2024, but this does not apply to those whose passports are issued by Serbia's directorate for Kosovo.