europe

Young European Federalists of Kosovo (JEF) and European Citizens (EC) have asked the European Commission to review its decision not to consider Schengen Visa policy liberalization for citizens of Kosovo.

“The European Council should reconsider this proposition since the Republic of Kosovo has resolved its status as an independent and sovereign state and it is ready to negotiate various EU policies regarding transport, customs and law,” said European Citizens and Young European Federalists in their joint statement. The Republic of Kosovo has approved the constitution that guarantees the development of the joint European policy on passports, visas, tax code, customs, police and law.  “The citizens of the Republic of Kosovo are ready to participate in the future European Union integration processes,” said JEF and EC in an official statement issued yesterday.

Kosovo is the only European country not to have signed the agreement with Schengen countries with the reason being the unsolved judicial and political status at the time. This decision, according to JEF, was discriminatory because UNMIK and local Kosovo institutions had signed more important international agreements at the time, such as the Central European Free Trade Agreement, CEFTA. A similar deal is expected to be signed soon with Serbia in an attempt to boost the chances of the Western leaning political factions in the May 11 elections.