Spain's Foreign Ministry said Monday that the recognition of passports of the citizens of Kosovo does not mean the recognition of Kosovo as a state.

According to official Madrid, Kosovar citizens would have trouble legally visiting it and other Schengen countries that do not recognize Kosovo's independence, if they did not agree to recognize the ordinary Kosovo's passport.

This statement came just a few days after Deputy Prime Minister Besnik Bislimi and Kosovo's head of diplomacy, Donika Gërvalla, announced Spain's decision to recognize the passport, although Spain does not acknowledge Kosovo's independence.

"All Schengen states that do not recognize [Kosovo] have accepted the use of ordinary passports. This, in no way, implies recognition of Kosovo", said the spokeswoman of the Spanish Foreign Ministry, Elena Aljarilla Cortezon, for Radio Free Europe.

According to her, Spain supports and will continue to support the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, "as a way of solving this issue and seeks to limit its impact on citizens".

Spain, together with Greece, Cyprus, Slovakia and Romania, as EU member states do not recognize the independence of Kosovo.

However, all these countries accept travel documents issued by the authorities in Kosovo.