Opposition politicians threw tear gas canisters in Kosovo’s parliament chamber in a bid to prevent other deputies from ratifying a border agreement with Montenegro.

The agreement is a key condition for Kosovo to gain visa-free travel to the European Union.

The opposition party Vetevendosje is adamantly against the agreement with Montenegro, signed in 2015.

It claims it will wrongly surrender some 8,000 hectares of Kosovo's territory to its neighbour.

Previous attempts to ratify the agreement have led to similar protests involving tear gas in the 120-seat parliament and street clashes with police.

The parliament speaker adjourned the session until the room had been ventilated.

Ratification of the border deal with Montenegro is one of the main conditions for Kosovo citizens to get a visa free regime within the EU.

Kosovo's Balkan neighbours - Serbia, Albania, Montenegro, Macedonia and Bosnia - obtained visa-free access to Europe’s border-free Schengen zone in 2010.