Visa exemption for Serbia only after it recognises Kosovo

In mid-June EU foreign ministers confirmed their intention to lift visa requirements for the citizens of several Balkan states. The conservative daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung writes that for Serbia this would only be possible following indirect recognition of Kosovo's independence: "In the states of the Balkans a generation has grown up that only knows Europe by hearsay. For them the introduction of freedom of travel would mean that 'Europe' could finally emerge from the fog of a faraway and rather implausible promise. It would also be a great success for the reform politicians of the states that were born of Yugoslavia's collapse. … Particularly in the case of Serbia, however, an awkward question must be resolved before this can happen: If the citizens of Serbia are to be allowed to travel freely to EU states will this also apply for Kosovo Albanians and Kosovo Serbs? According to Serbia's official version Kosovo is still part of Serbia under international law."

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