The Council of the European Union recently made a significant decision to remove the visa requirement for holders of Serbian passports issued by the Serbian Coordination Directorate. This means that ethnic Serbs with passports from Serbia’s Directorate for Kosovo can now freely cross external borders of EU member states without needing a visa.
Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Duric praised the decision, calling it a victory for Serb human rights in Kosovo. However, Kosovo’s government has raised objections, stating that recognizing documents from Serbian-run institutions undermines Kosovo’s sovereignty and integration efforts within the Serbian community.
Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani criticized the EU’s decision, citing violations of Kosovo’s laws and constitution. Osmani’s media adviser also expressed concerns about the negative impact of recognizing these “illegal” passports on Kosovo’s citizens and the EU’s integration processes.
Ultimately, around 18,000 Serbian residents of Kosovo holding these passports will benefit from the new regulation, aligning them with the same visa regime as other Western Balkan residents. This decision follows a proposal by the European Commission in 2023 to include passports issued by the Serbian Coordination Directorate in Belgrade in the visa exemption policy.