Strasbourg, 19 April 2023
First Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration, Development and Dialogue, Besnik Bislimi held a press conference together with MEP Thijs Reuten. In his speech, he thanked all those who supported Kosovo over the years until the successful completion of this process. He also added that visa liberalization will facilitate contacts between people, strengthen our ties with the EU, confirm the EU’s commitment to the region and increase business, education and cultural opportunities for our citizens.
“From January 1, we will no longer have thousands of lost opportunities for Kosovo citizens to participate in various conferences, sports competitions, summer schools and other events. This will send a strong signal to our citizens that we belong to Europe,” said Deputy Prime Minister Bislimi.
Below is the full address of Deputy Prime Minister Bislimi:
Honorable Mr. Thijs Reuten,
Honorable Ms. Gërvalla
Honorable media representatives,
We just came from the signing ceremony, where visa liberalization for Kosovo finally became an official decision. This decision will be published in the official gazette after 20 days and Kosovo passport holders will be able to move freely in the Schengen area from January 1, 2024. It has been a long and difficult process with many obstacles along the way and it took 11 years to conclude. For four years the process was pending in the Council and it seemed impossible to get out of the impasse.
However, we were committed to concluding by emphasizing not only that the visa criteria were met, but that Kosovo has made tremendous progress in the areas of the rule of law, the fight against organized crime and corruption, fundamental rights, and migration management. These achievements could not be overlooked. We have worked closely with all member countries to make this happen.
On behalf of the citizens of Kosovo, I want to thank all those who have been part of this process. Thanks Thijs for making sure everything was done on time. I also want to thank the former rapporteur for visas from S&D, Mrs. Tanja Fajon for her dedication and hard work in the past, the rapporteur for Kosovo Viola von Cramon and the MEP Lucas Mandl who has been a supportive voice in Parliament. Thanks also go to the Czech and Swedish Presidencies of the EU who have pushed this issue further in the Council. Thank you to all MEPs, officers of the Commission and Member States, NGOs in Kosovo and civil society activists and vocal public figures who have supported our case.
I must also include a big thank you to the members of my cabinet and the cabinets of all the ministries involved in the process. A special thanks to the civil servants of Kosovo in our institutions, who are the foundation of our government and are in charge of the implementation of reforms. Last but not least, I want to thank our citizens for their patience.
Visa liberalization will facilitate contacts between people, strengthen our ties with the EU, confirm the EU’s commitment to the region and increase business, education and cultural opportunities for our citizens. We will also launch information campaigns to ensure that they are well informed about what visa liberalization is and is not.
Every citizen of Kosovo knows how difficult, expensive and bureaucratic it is to apply for a visa. It was particularly humiliating when, after this demanding process, a citizen was denied a visa. However, next year our citizens will not be subjected to such a process.
Next year we won’t have cases like that of Eroll Bilibani, the director of Dokufest, one of the most important documentary film festivals in Kosovo, who received an official invitation from the Berlinale, but his trip was canceled due to visa rejection.
We will not have cases like that of Nehare and Era Janjeva, two young table tennis players, who were refused a visa to participate in the European table tennis championship. We will not have cases like that of Jeton Neziraj, the Kosovar playwright, who, after being awarded the “European of the Year” award, had to cancel his performance at a theater festival because he and his team could not get visas. After this event he said: “For the citizens of Kosovo, the visa regime has turned into a fear that aims to degrade, humiliate and dehumanize us”.
From January 1, we will no longer have thousands of lost opportunities for Kosovo citizens to participate in various conferences, sports competitions, summer schools and other events. This will send a strong signal to our citizens that we belong to Europe.
That is why it is important to remember that this process is about people first and foremost. It is for students who can now explore their own continent; it is for local artists who can now attend their exhibitions abroad; it is for entrepreneurs from Kosovo who can now develop their business opportunities; and for parents and grandparents who can now visit their children and grandchildren. It is to bring the citizens of Kosovo and the EU closer.
To the citizens of the Republic of Kosovo, congratulations on the visa liberalization!
