The Kosovo Interior Ministry Monday started to issue biometric passports to the inhabitants of Kosovo. Interior Minister Bajram Redzepi said that by launching the biometric passports, Kosovo fulfilled one of the key conditions toward the liberalization of visa regime with EU countries.

For Kosovo Prime Minister Hasim Taci, issuing biometric passports means that Kosovo will be eligible for visa liberalization, according to the criteria of the European Union.

By issuing the first biometric passport Kosovo met a very important precondition both regarding the security of the document and the visa liberalization process, Taci said. This is a big step for Kosovo, he said, adding that it is a document that will bring the people of Kosovo closer to the EU.

The Kosovo biometric passports are produced in Austria. The first three passports were issued at the relevant ceremony of the Interior Ministry in Pristina today.

The Kosovo biometric passport has red covers with the coat of arms of Kosovo in the middle of the front cover and the "PASSPORT" inscription in the Albanian, Serbian and English languages below. The Serbian inscription is in the Cyrillic scrypt.