May 05, 2016•Update: May 07, 2016
BELGRADE, Serbia
EU High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy Federica Mogherini praised on Thursday the European Commission recommendation to abolish visas for citizens of Kosovo.
Mogherini and Commissioner for Migration and Home Affairs Dimitris Avramopoulos arrived to the Kosovan capital Pristina on Thursday a day after the European Commission recommended that citizens of Kosovo be able to stay visa-free for up to 3 months in the EU’s Schengen area.
"This week is very important for Kosovo and I'm happy to celebrate the admission of Kosovo to UEFA. This step towards visa liberalization for the people of Kosovo [fulfilled] their aspirations and dreams to move freely in Europe, " said Mogherini.
Mogherini's remarks came in a joint press conference with Prime Minister Isa Mustafa and Avramopoulos.
Kosovo was also accepted as a member of UEFA on Tuesday as its 55th member after the annual congress voted by 28 votes to 24 to accept its application.
"Kosovo is part of the European family, and from the moment you open the door, [it] is not far off, the day when together we feel the most positive results in the area of convergence. In this spirit, Kosovo has made significant progress," added Avramopoulos.
Kosovo is a former Serbian province populated by nearly 1.8 million people, over 90 percent of whom are Kosovo Albanians.
It declared independence on Feb. 17, 2008, and is recognized by over 100 countries, including the U.S., the U.K, France, Germany and Turkey.
Serbia, Russia and China are among the countries that have not yet recognized Kosovo’s independence.
