The citizens of Kosovo waited for years, while Vucic considers it as a reward for the "disobedient" Kurti, this is what visa liberalization means for Pristina and the "catastrophic" news that awaits Serbia

The citizens of Kosovo have been waiting for what Serbian President Aleksandër Vucic calls the encouragement of Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti to continue fulfilling his obligations. The Serbian media "Danas" states that specifically, the Council of the EU announced on Thursday that it approved the first reading position on visa-free travel for holders of passports issued by Kosovo, which will enable holders of Kosovo passports to travel to the EU without a visa from January 1, 2024. On the other hand, Vucic stated in a television studio that "Kurti is determined not to form the ZSO and that it is easy for him to do so, the decision to cancel the regime shows of visas for the citizens of this country. So I have nothing against it for many reasons and we should look forward to that decision. But the moment does not show that they are not ready to put pressure on Kurti, but that they are encouraging him to continue with the policy of not fulfilling his obligations. And this is a problem", said Vucic. He added that Kosovo will enter the Council of Europe and that this will be considered normal and that Serbia will be told to vote for it.

What does this decision mean?

Is this decision of the Council of the EU a reward for Kosovo for the progress achieved so far in the dialogue or is it an incentive, that is, a carrot, for the future, with membership in the Council of Europe? Danas asked Natan Albahari, PSG deputy and member of the Parliamentary Commission for European Integration, and Sofija Popovic, EWB journalist. Albahari says that it is good that the citizens of Kosovo, but also the members of the Serbian community, will finally have the opportunity to travel to the EU without visas. "It is extremely important that when certain conditions are met within the framework of European integration, this is also confirmed at the level of the European Union, because this is the only way the entire region can regain confidence in the process itself. I will remind you that the continuous postponement of granting candidate status to North Macedonia and Albania, as well as the subsequent postponement of the opening of accession negotiations, leaves a bitter taste throughout the region and calls into question the EU's commitment to the enlargement policy. Every step towards bringing the entire region closer to the European Union should be welcomed", says Albahari. According to his words, President Vucic knows very well that this process of visa liberalization started many years ago and he himself should stand behind it because it is of great importance for the Serbian community in Kosovo. "Is the reward for Kosovo the same valid question as the reward for Serbia last week was almost one billion euros for the repair of the Belgrade-Nish railway? If we look at it from that angle, then we can conclude that Brussels is satisfied with the way both sides have accepted this agreement, at least in the first phase,

Lajmi i keq për Serbinë

Siç shton ai, në atë kontekst, atëherë duhet pyetur pse qeveria, e cila çdo ditë thotë se si punon për të mbrojtur serbët në Kosovë, shpesh punon kundër interesave të tyre? Albahari thotë se do të ishte katastrofike për Serbinë nëse krijohet përshtypja se papritur Prishtina është më e gatshme të angazhohet për një marrëveshje dhe Serbia del të jetë pala që po e bllokon atë marrëveshje. “Si pasojë, ne mund të mbetemi pa mbështetje për ZSO-në dhe rruga drejt integrimeve euroatlantike do të jetë e hapur për Kosovën. Kjo është arsyeja pse kjo është një mundësi unike dhe ndoshta e fundit për Serbinë për të siguruar të ardhmen e saj evropiane. Kërkoj që në raundin e radhës të hyhet më seriozisht, me guxim dhe pjekuri, pa rënkime, konferenca dramatike për shtyp dhe lajthitje të opinionit”, thekson ai. Ndërsa Sofija Popoviç kujton se në fillim të dhjetorit të vitit të kaluar, pas arritjes së marrëveshjes brenda BE-së për këtë çështje, ishte e qartë se Kosova do të merrte patjetër liberalizimin e vizave nga 1 janari 2024.