The European Union started talks with Kosovo on scrapping visa requirements for entry into the border-free Schengen area, the bloc's executive said Thursday, DPA reported.
The move was eagerly awaited in Kosovo, which is the only territory left in the Western Balkans whose population has no visa-free access to Europe.
"Our commitment to visa liberalisation for the citizens of Kosovo is real, and I am very pleased that we can now start making concrete progress towards this goal," EU Home Affairs Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said in a statement.
She pointed out that authorities in Pristina need to make "concrete progress" on border controls and security before the target can be reached.
Malmstrom is engaged in a two-day visit in Pristina ending Friday, during which she was due to meet with Prime Minister Hashim Thaci and other government officials.
EU relations with Kosovo are also hindered by the fact that five member states of the bloc - Spain, Greece, Cyprus, Slovakia and Romania - still do not recognize Pristina's independence from Serbia.
EU launches talks on scrapping visa requirements for Kosovans
The European Union started talks with Kosovo on scrapping visa requirements for entry into the border-free Schengen area, the bloc's executive said Thursday.
