Kosovo’s Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, announced on Monday that as of January 1, 2025, Kosovo will unilaterally permit free movement for citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina holding identification cards, despite the lack of reciprocal arrangements from Bosnia.

The announcement was made during Kurti’s address at the Berlin Process Summit, where he highlighted Kosovo’s commitment to regional cooperation, even though Bosnia and Herzegovina has yet to ratify the agreement allowing Kosovars to travel freely within its borders using ID cards.

“While the Republika Srpska entity refuses the ratification of the mobility agreement for free movement with ID, that my country was the first in the region to ratify in the Parliament, I have decided to end the wait. Starting on January 1st next year, Republic of Kosova will unilaterally allow free movement for ID holders of Bosnia and Herzegovina,” Kurti announced on social media.

The mobility agreement, initially signed in November 2022 as part of the Berlin Process, aimed to facilitate easier travel between the two countries. However, its implementation has been stalled by opposition from Republika Srpska, led by US-sanctioned Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik.

The Berlin Process, a German-led initiative, seeks to enhance regional cooperation among the six Western Balkans countries—Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia.

Kosovo ratified the agreement in February 2023, but despite this, citizens of both Kosovo and Bosnia have been unable to travel freely between the two countries. Currently, Kosovars must obtain a visa, which is issued only in rare circumstances, to enter Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Bosnia and Herzegovina remains one of the few countries, alongside Serbia, that does not recognize Kosovo as an independent state, although it has recognized Kosovo passports since 2012.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen were present at the summit, where regional cooperation and free movement initiatives took center stage. Despite calls from international figures, including German politician Viola von Cramon, to unblock the ratification process, Dodik cited concerns over the treatment of the Serbian minority in Kosovo as a reason for the delay.

The move by Kosovo is seen as a step towards fostering greater regional integration, even as political tensions continue to hinder reciprocal agreements. (ILKHA)