The liberalization of Kosovo became effective on the first day of the New Year, specifically the 1st of January.
Soon after, Slovakia took to inviting the Kosovars to tour the country in order to extend a friendly hand toward the people.
Moreover, the relevant authorities in Slovakia are moving toward embracing the spirit of hospitality and openness despite the fact that they have not officially recognized the independence of Kosovo.
Kosovo
Housing no less than 1.8 million people, Kosovo used to be the last country among the Western Balkans whose citizens were granted permission to visit the member states of the European Union without a visa.
This was despite the country undergoing the acquisition process throughout this whole time, particularly for the last decade.
Before its dependence, the people of Kosovo were allowed to make trips to only 14 countries across the globe without the need for a visa.
However, as the EU has abolished the visa regime, people belonging to Kosovo are now free to explore no less than 27 countries that are a part of the EU without the need for a visa.
Consequently, they can use this freedom to reside in these countries for a maximum of 90 days during the 180-day period.
On this note, Visa Guide, the World Passport Index, has ranked Kosovo at number 98th in all the countries in the world.
The organization is responsible for ranking passports of around 199 states based on the number of visits to countries they allow and the overall strength.
As a result, the visa liberalization agreement is believed to have quadrupled the strength of the passport of Kosovo.
Obstacles
Initially, EU member states were hesitant about the visa liberalization measures. On this note, the Netherlands and France raised concerns regarding potential migration waves.
However, the agreement was ultimately granted approval, as reported by the relevant authorities in Slovakia.
Moreover, even Slovakia had initially been against any visa-free relations with Kosovo, as it does not formally recognize the independence of the country from Serbia.
But it has now decided to take a different approach and extend a friendly hand to the people of Kosovo.
Slovakia
As a positive gesture of friendly relations, the Slovakia Liaison Office, located in Pristina, has made a public announcement congratulating the people of Kosovo.
Moreover, it took to extending an invitation to the people of the country to tour Slovakia and explore the various things it has to offer.
This is believed to be a step in the direction of Slovakia recognizing the independence of Kosovo and using this opportunity to improve bilateral relations between the two countries.
Kosovo became independent from Serbia back in 2008, with a total of 113 states regarding it as a small Balkan country.
Even though this country has a small population, the Kosovar diaspora on the continent is believed to be millions.
A large chunk of Kosovars are especially known to be residing in Switzerland and Germany.
It is no secret that the residents of Kosovo have been wanting to visit Europe for a long time and in 2022, Kosovo was in the list of top 20 countries that applied for a visa to EU member states.
