According to Kosovo’s President, Vjosa Osmani, any suspension of Kosovo’s visa-free access to the EU would effectively put an end to negotiations with Serbia. She conveyed this emotion to reporters, highlighting the fact that such actions are not in the best interests of the populace.

Osmani’s remarks were sparked by a recent statement by French President Emmanuel Macron, who said that if Kosovo and Serbia don’t act responsibly, his nation may review the obligations it made regarding political and economic visa-related issues for those two countries.

Macron emphasized the need for caution, particularly in view of the possible threat to the Western Balkans’ stability. He mentioned that France and Germany had made commitments over immigration laws and other economic issues, which might be reviewed.

The European Union approved Kosovo visa-free travel in April of this year, enabling Kosovo passport holders to travel without a visa beginning no later than January 1, 2024. With this choice, a ten-year process of visa liberalization came to an end. Before this agreement, Kosovo was the only nation in the Western Balkans without one.

Despite the fact that Serbia and Kosovo both want to join the EU, Brussels has highlighted that in order to speed up the membership process, their differences should be resolved through mediated conversation. On December 14 of the previous year, Kosovo formally submitted its application to join the EU. The signing ceremony was attended by the President, Prime Minister, and Speaker of the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo. This action was viewed as a crucial step toward Kosovo’s membership into the EU.

In a declaration dated December of that same year, the prime minister of Kosovo said that the nation had met all requirements for applying for the status of a candidate country inside the EU. There were hints that the Balkan country will file its application soon.

The first deputy prime minister of Kosovo, Besnik Bislimi, who is in charge of the country’s integration into the EU, told Politico that Kosovo might join the EU by 2030.