Government of Kosovo, in a letter to the EC: Serbian passports are unacceptable and strengthen parallel institutions

The Government of Kosovo has sent a letter to European Union officials regarding the European Commission's proposal to allow citizens of Kosovo with passports issued by Serbia to travel without visas, as reported by Telegrafi.

In the letter obtained by this portal, it is stated that Kosovo Serbs have been receiving Kosovo passports in increasing numbers this year since Kosovo gained the right to a visa-free regime.

"The issuance of passports by the Coordination Directorate of Serbia is unacceptable, strengthens parallel institutions, violates Serbia's own obligations to the EU, and is contrary to the recommendations outlined in the annual report for Serbia," the letter from the Kosovo Government to EU institutions states, as reported by Telegrafi.

The letter states that these passports issued by an "illegal institution" pose a risk of inaccurate data and compromise security for which Kosovo cannot be held responsible.

"These documents have not undergone security checks like Kosovo passports, nor have they been part of meeting the security criteria for the visa liberalization dialogue defined by the European Commission. Although Kosovo does not recognize passports issued by the Coordination Directorate, we are committed to issuing passports through a simplified procedure to ensure that no Kosovo Serb seeking a passport is left without a travel document. If there are concerns about the process of equipping Kosovo passports for all remaining Serbs, we call on the EU to monitor this process," the Kosovo Government's letter states.

As further noted, the Kosovo Government calls on the EU to support the consideration of this proposal and join their campaign to encourage and call on all Kosovo Serbs to obtain Kosovo passports.

This topic has become significant since the European Commission proposed on November 16 to include holders of passports of the Republic of Serbia living in Kosovo in the visa liberalization process. However, this proposal by the European Commission has sparked numerous reactions in Kosovo, including the reaction of the authorities.

Albanian and Serbian civil society organizations in Kosovo are divided on the European Commission's proposal. One side says it harms the integration of Kosovo Serbs, while Serbian non-governmental organizations in Kosovo support the abolition of visas for Kosovo citizens with Serbian passports.

Meanwhile, the European Commission does not want to create a situation where a segment of the population is deprived of the right to free movement.