PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) — Citizens of Kosovo and Israel will soon be able to travel to each other’s countries without needing a visa, following an agreement signed between the two governments on Tuesday, the Kosovar Foreign Ministry announced.
The agreement was signed in Pristina by Israeli Interior Minister Moshe Arbel and Kosovar Foreign Minister Donika Gervalla. Gervalla highlighted that the agreement will foster cooperation, economic development, educational opportunities for youth, and joint initiatives between the two nations.
The visa waiver will take effect in September. However, details regarding the length of stay permitted under this arrangement were not disclosed.
In addition to this new agreement, Kosovars can now enjoy visa-free travel for up to 90 days within a six-month period to any of the 27 Schengen-area member states in Europe.
Kosovo and Israel established formal diplomatic relations in February 2021, with Israel being the 117th country to recognize Kosovo. Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, following a U.S.-led NATO airstrike campaign in 1999 to halt a violent crackdown on ethnic Albanians. While most Western nations recognize Kosovo’s independence, Serbia, Russia, and China do not.
In late 2017, the U.S. government under former President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and relocated the U.S. Embassy there in May 2018. Subsequently, Kosovo became the first European and first Muslim-majority country to open an embassy in Jerusalem, following the U.S. and Guatemala, with an opening ceremony held in March 2021.