ABU DHABI (WAM)
The United Arab Emirates and the Republic of Kosovo have signed a memorandum of understanding on the mutual exemption of visa requirements for holders of ordinary, diplomatic, special and mission passports.
Under this MoU, the UAE citizens holding valid passports for at least six months are exempt from the visa requirement for entry to Kosovo and can stay there for up to 90 days per visit. In return, citizens of Kosovo holding valid diplomatic, official, and ordinary passports are exempt from the visa requirement for entry to the United Arab Emirates.
H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Donika Gërvalla-Schwarz, Deputy Prime Minister Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kosovo, welcomed the MoU signing. They affirmed during a telephone call on Thursday the importance of this step in strengthening and developing bilateral relations in a way that serves the mutual interests of the two countries and their peoples.
The MoU was signed on behalf of the UAE by Khaled Abdullah Belhoul, Undersecretary of the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and on behalf of Kosovo by Xhabir Hamiti, the Ambassador of Kosovo to the UAE.
The MoU comes within the framework of strengthening bilateral relations and facilitating the movement of people between the two countries. It is also an important step towards strengthening joint cooperation in all areas of common interest, including political, economic, cultural, and educational.
In a related context, the UAE Top Diplomat and Deputy Prime Minister Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kosovo discussed bilateral relations and ways to enhance them in all areas during the telephone call.
Sheikh Abdullah affirmed the growing bilateral relations between the two countries and their aspiration to enhance them in a way that serves their mutual interests.
The two ministers also discussed the situation in the Balkans and a number of regional and international issues of common interest.
They discussed the developments in the Middle East and the efforts of the international community to calm the situation and reach a sustainable ceasefire, in addition to strengthening the international response to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
During the telephone call, H.H. Sheikh Abdullah pointed to the importance of ending extremism, tension, and the escalation of violence in the Middle East and ensuring the protection of all civilian lives from the repercussions of the current crisis. He stressed the need to accelerate the delivery of urgent humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza in a comprehensive and sustainable manner that meets their needs.