Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) continues to issue visas to Kosovo citizens “only in exceptional cases”. Namely, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of BiH applies special instructionsfor issuing visas to the citizens of Kosovo since 2012.
They make life bitter
In order to obtain a visa, the citizens of Kosovo must apply to the diplomatic mission (DKPBiH) in Skopje, Podgorica, or Belgrade, and upon receipt and processing of the application, the consent is given by the Minister of Foreign Affairs. According to the explanation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of BiH, the conclusion of the Council of Ministers that “visas are issued to the citizens of Kosovo only in exceptional cases” is still in force.
SBB leader Fahrudin Radoncic reminded of the forgotten problem of relations between BiH and Kosovo, especially the visa regime that makes the lives of thousands of citizens bitter.
”Have you ever seen the Kosovo plate through any street in BiH!? People who go to Serbia with traffic plates and passports of Kosovo cannot enter BiH,” said Radoncic.
No one has responded for years to the appeals of the Community of Albanians in BiH, which has about 13.000 citizens, most of whom are from Kosovo.
”I do not know which term I would use for the attitude of BiH institutions towards Kosovo. There is no country in the world that has such a rigorous attitude towards its citizens because we are citizens of this country and we died and shed blood for BiH, and imagine that a parent today cannot come to the grave of his child who died for this country,” stressed Muharrem Zejnullahu, President of the Community of Albanians in BiH.
Freedom of movement
Kosovo Deputy Prime Minister Emilija Rexhepi explained that due to the lack of visa liberalization, Kosovo citizens, especially Bosniaks who have relatives in both countries, are paying a high price. After a lengthy procedure and costs, few get a visa in a few days.
”A large part of our youth and students who want to study in your country, as it was before the war, remain deprived of free movement and education, learning about the culture, tradition,and values of BiH, which is also a great pity,” noted Rexhepi.
Forced to ask for Serbian documents
The citizens of Kosovo are forced to ask for documents from Serbia, Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Croatia, and even Bulgaria. According to Rexhepi, these countries treat them as their diaspora, which increases their total population and opens the possibility of obtaining money from European funds.
”Removing these administrative barriers, which are superfluous, takes unnecessarily long. Their abolition would drastically increase mutual economic, tourist above all, but also social, cultural, and any other exchange. That would have positive effects not only for the citizens but also for the budgets of both countries,” Rexhepi emphasized.
EDz.
Source: Avaz
