PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) – European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has called on Kosovo to ratify a border demarcation deal with Montenegro and improve ties with Serbia.
Juncker continued his Balkan tour in Kosovo on Wednesday, the first visit by an EU Commission chief. He was accompanied by EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn.
The EU says the border deal is a precondition for Kosovo’s citizens to travel freely within its visa-free travel zone known as Schengen.
Opposition parties say Kosovo loses territory with the 2015 agreement, though that has been denied by the previous government and international experts.
Montenegro, which has approved the deal, recognizes Kosovo’s 2008 independence from Serbia, which Belgrade rejects.
Juncker also said that “ties between Kosovo and Serbia are fundamental” in their path toward Europe.