Kosovo & Bosnia & Herzegovina to Permit Visa-Free Travel Between Both Countries

The Ministers of the six Western Balkan countries will reach an agreement regarding the free movement of people between these territories as well as mutual recognition of university degrees, Express Newspaper reports.

Such an announcement has been made  by the secretary general of the Regional Council, Majlinda Bregu, VisaGuide.World reads.

“Students now have to pay 300 to 500 euros just to recognise (diplomas). With this agreement, this cost will be zero,” Bregu pointed out ahead of the meeting of Western Balkan officials organized by the German Foreign Minister, Annalena Baerbock.

In addition, Bregu pointed out that the Western Balkans States, Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia will also reach an agreement on the free movement of people without identity cards.

“This means that the last wall of the visa regime in the Western Balkans, between Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina, will disappear,” Bregu stressed in this regard.

Such a decision would significantly facilitate the travel process for citizens of these territories and avoid additional requirements.

On October 19, the majority of the European Members of Parliament who participated in the plenary session in the debate on EU-Western Balkans relations agreed that the accession of the Western Balkans countries to the European Union is among the main priorities, and in case the bloc fails to act in accordance with this, other countries, such as Russia, China and Turkey will attempt to increase their influence in the region.

Among the most discussed issues was the launching of the accession negotiation process for both Albania and North Macedonia, the recommendation of candidate status for Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as Kosovo’s visa liberalization process.

In this regard, the European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, Oliver Várhelyi, stressed that “We will not leave the Western Balkans alone.”

“We will deliver on our part, both politically and financially. We intend to significantly — by 60 per cent — increase our funding to address migration challenges in the Western Balkans from 2021 to 2024, meaning more than 350 million Euros,” Várhelyi pointed out in this regard.

Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET), David McAllister (EPP), highlighted the impact Russian aggression on Ukraine had on the European Union rethinking its enlargement policy as well as the need to advance European Union enlargement policy as a single most effective instrument for securing peace, prosperity as well as fundamental values on the continent.

 

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