Spain has dropped its visa requirements for Kosovo citizens in a move that bolsters the Balkan nation’s European aspirations and ends a period of ambiguity about Madrid’s stance.
“On the eve of the 16th anniversary of [our] independence, Spain joined the EU states that recognise Kosovo’s passport,” Albin Kurti, Kosovo’s premier, said on Facebook on Sunday.
Spain is the biggest of five EU members that have yet to recognise Kosovo, a position linked to its own internal struggle with secessionists in Catalonia and the Basque country. Greece, Romania, Slovakia and Cyprus are similarly opposed due to breakaway movements or large ethnic minorities on their territory that they do not wish to see emboldened by a Balkan precedent.