EU Council of Ministers

Visa liberalization between the EU and Kosovo allows the citizens of Kosovo to travel and stay in the EU for up to 90 days without a visa in any period of six months with passports issued by the temporary Pristina authorities, the EP website said.

The European Commission confirmed the recommendation to abolish the visa regime for citizens of Kosovo. They assessed that the recommendation, which dates back to 2018, remains "fully valid".
It is a key document that will be the basis for making a decision on visa liberalization for Kosovo at the level of the member states of the European Union.

Bulgaria's caretaker government led by Stefan Janev will not change Sofia's stance on blocking the start of EU negotiation for North Macedonia in a dispute over history, language and identity.

The news further diminishes the chances of a speedy breakthrough in bilateral talks before June, when the EU has pencilled in the official start of talks.

The government in North Macedonia has rejected opposition accusations that has downplayed the tough preconditions that Bulgaria has set on the expected launch of EU membership talks and on the gradual solving of open issues.

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has come forward with a fresh initiative to revive the EU enlargement process after North Macedonia and Albania did not get a start date for EU accession talks at last week's European Council meeting due to opposition from France.

Sixty-nine MPs in Macedonia's 120-seat parliament voted for the agreement with Greece to rename the country the Republic of North Macedonia to be put to a plenary session of the legislature in a fast-track procedure, while 40 voted against, mainly MPs from the opposition right-wing VMRO DPMNE.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, whose country holds the EU presidency, has intervened in the acrimonious debate on migration by saying the EU must "close its borders" to those who do not use authorised checkpoints.

Citizens of the Western Balkan countries will in the future have to request authorization from the relevant EU bodies of to travel in the Schengen zone.

They will still not be required to have a visa, Beta has reported.

The Greek Foreign Ministry released an announcement on the demolition of properties belonging to members of the Greek National Minority in Dhermi, Himara at Northern Epirus of Albania.

After passing an important package of judicial reforms sought by the EU, Albania hopes to start accession talks with the Brussels by the end of this year.