UK to accept new Kosovo passports

20/08/2008

PRISTINA, Kosovo -- The British embassy announced on Tuesday (August 19th) that UK authorities have decided to recognise Kosovo's passport for those seeking visas. Authorities will also accept passports issued by UNMIK until they expire. Pristina announced that it had issued 55,500 new passports since late July, when the process began.

In other news, the mayor of Mitrovica, the divided town in northern Kosovo, says the Serbian government is attempting to buy properties from ethnic Albanians there. Mayor Bajram Rexhepi expressed concern Monday over attempts by Serbian authorities to snap up properties in the Kroi i Vitakut neighbourhood by offering high prices. "Even though the trade of private property is a right of its landlords, we will prevent this trade, believing it is politically motivated by Serbian authorities seeking to purge these areas of Albanian residents," Rexhepi told a security committee meeting. (Koha vision, BalkanWeb, RTK - 19/08/08; Koha ditore, BalkanWeb, RTK - 18/08/08)