European Parliament approves Serbian-issued passports for Kosovo Serbs
27 April 2024
The European Parliament has approved a regulation granting visa exemption to Serbian passport holders issued by the Serbian Coordination Directorate, aligning them with other Western Balkan citizens regarding visa-free travel to EU member states.
Considered as a parallel structure by the Kosovo Government, Serbian-issued passports for Serbs residing in Kosovo will "negatively affect the integration process of Kosovo Serbs," according to Kosovo authorities. By Kosovo law, they are still deemed illegal, meaning that Kosovo Serbs are unable to travel abroad from the Pristina airport.
The decision comes at the same time as Kosovo’s accession to Council of Europe membership is reaching its final stages, signifying a discrepancy in European policy towards Kosovo’s sovereignty. Furthermore, Kosovo's government declared it as a "violation" of Kosovo's territorial integrity.
 | Jakob Weizman Given that Serbia still considers Kosovo as a part of its territory, in addition to the Kosovo passport not being recognised by almost half of UN member states, some may deem it logical for Kosovo Serbs to seek out Serbian passports rather than Kosovo's. Five EU member states also do not recognise Kosovo's passport or sovereignty – Spain, Slovakia, Cyprus, Romania, and Greece, often due to the fact that they themselves have issues with regions seeking autonomy.. Matjaž Nemec, a Slovene MEP, maintained that this issue does not affect the Kosovo-Serbia situation, it only aims to ensure free movement and treatment for all Western Balkan citizens. However, concerns from the Kosovar side are piling up, and this decision by the EP does not seem to help resolve the overall conflict. |
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