The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, wanted to give a political message to Kosovo and Serbia, with his statement given in Tirana, according to which both countries must keep their word. This is what the ambassador of France in Kosovo, Olivier Gero, declared in an interview.

He confirms that there is no decision on the suspension of visas for Kosovo by France and that the liberalization will come into force on January 1, 2024. Among other things, the French ambassador also talks about the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, the situation created after the attack of 24 September and other topics. 

"The president was asked at the end of a bilateral visit to Albania during which relations between France and Albania were strengthened. So, there was a question about the situation in Kosovo, and he wanted to put both sides, Kosovo and Serbia, in front of the responsibilities. Starting with Serbia, inviting President Aleksandar Vucic to strongly condemn the attack on September 24, the killing of the police officer Afrim Bujaku, and the attack as a whole, and asking that the attack as a whole be brought to light and the perpetrators brought to justice. This was the first message. 

The second message for Kosovo and Serbia regarding the need to organize new elections in the north for reasons that are known and that I do not need to remind. Elections with the participation of Serbs and the return of Serbs to institutions. 

The third message had to do with the need to form an association of municipalities with a Serbian majority. At the end of this message, of these three requests addressed simultaneously to President Vucic and the Kosovo authorities, President Macron recalled that the visa liberalization that is now in effect in Serbia and that will be implemented from January 1, 2024 in Kosovo is a positive encouragement, a gesture of good faith and that this gesture was not reciprocal and that it is necessary for both parties to re-engage in dialogue. This was a political message that I hope both parties will listen to. 

Today, on October 18, the technical decision is not questioned, but it is really necessary for the political leaders to listen to the president's message. Today, on October 18, nothing has been decided to prevent visa liberalization on January 1. There is no technical decision to question the liberalization of visas for Kosovo", said Ambassador Gero.