Kosovo’s Interior Minister Skender Hyseni said he was optimistic that the European Parliament would very soon approve the recommendation of the European Commission to lift the visa regime for the people of Kosovo. According to Hyseni, the European Parliament is expected to vote on the recommendation in 10-12 weeks’ time “and we hope the citizens will be able to move freely by mid-summer or little bit after”.

Prime Minister of Kosovo Isa Mustafa, in a joint press conference with the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini and the Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Dimitris Avramopoulos, said the European Commission’s recommendation for visa liberalization is an important step for Kosovo. Mustafa said that he discussed in the meeting with EU officials the issue of visa liberalization as well as the fight against corruption, economic development, and dialogue with Serbia.

Ben Andoni writes that the decision of the European Commission to recommend liberalization of visas for Kosovo, was celebrated more by the politicians than the ordinary citizens. Just like in Albania, majority of them remain skeptical that liberalization of visas would change things much, even though, non-liberalization of visas in Kosovo was felt a bit differently, as a denied right that they used to have under another citizenship.

Slovakia Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak said on Thursday that Slovakia sees no problem that the citizens of Turkey will travel without visas in the European Union, and that it supports visa liberalization for Kosovo, Ukraine and Georgia. Slovakia is one of the five member states of the EU which has not recognized Kosovo, but despite this Slovakia recognizes Kosovo passports and supports visa liberalization, the news site reports.

A festive atmosphere broke out in Pristina on Wednesday (4 May) as the European Commission announced it would recommend to scrap visa requirements for Kosovars.

Prime minister Isa Mustafa updated his Facebook profile with a picture of the EU and Kosovo flags.

https://euobserver.com/migration/133344

Kosovo’s Prime Minister, Isa Mustafa, told a press conference today that the recommendation for visa liberalization marks a huge step forward in Kosovo’s path toward European integration. Mustafa said: “This is a special day for Kosovo as the recommendation for visa liberalization marks a very important and multi-dimensional decision. Kosovo has made a huge step forward in the process of European integration … This comes as a result of the commitment of our citizens to Western values.

The European Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship, Dimitris Avramopoulos, said today that the European Commission has recommended to the EU Council and the European Parliament to grant visa liberalization for Kosovo’s citizens. Avramopoulos told reporters that the EU will closely monitor the visa liberalization process for Kosovo. “I know how important visa liberalization is for Kosovo and we recommend this,” he said.

The European Commission proposed on Wednesday that EU governments lift visa requirements for travellers from Kosovo, allowing those with biometric passports to spend 90 days in the Schengen area without a visa.

"Kosovo has made great progress," Migration Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos told reporters, adding that he hoped governments and the European Parliament would approve the proposal quickly.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-europe-migrants-eu-kosovo-idUKKCN0XV1A2

Kosovars will be able to move without visas within 2016. This is official already. The news was confirmed by the Minister for European Integration, Bekim Collaku, who received information from European officials.

Now only technical procedures which are expected to be fulfilled within a few weeks, remain. Be as it may, today will be a marked day. The 4^th of May is the day when Kosovo gains positive recommendation for liberalization of visas for Schengen zone. This is Collaku’s posting on Facebook:

WITHOUT VISAS – 2016

The Office of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Isa Mustafa, issued a press release today saying that Federica Mogherini, the European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission, will visit Pristina on Thursday. Mogherini is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Mustafa. Mogherini and Mustafa are expected to give a joint conference for the media.