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Serbia the first country to negotiate visa relaxations
Belgrade,
16 November 2006
Representative of the Western Balkans Directorate at the European Commission's Directorate-General for Enlargement and head of the EU negotiating team in the talks on stabilisation and association Therese Sobieski said that Serbia will be the first country of the western Balkans with which the European Commission will start and conclude negotiations on visa relaxations.
In an interview to daily Vecernje Novosti, Sobieski said that it is realistic to expect that the agreement on visa relations be concluded in early 2007.
She said that the road to liberalisation of the visa regime is much longer and harder than obtaining EU candidate status and explained that the country cannot enter the white Schengen list simply by becoming an EU candidate, but that it has to make radical reforms in the field of legislation and internal affairs, conduct an uncompromising fight against organised crime and corruption and strengthen the legal state.
Sobieski said that Serbia will enter the EU as soon as that becomes feasible, stressing that there are no shortcuts on that road. She said that some countries are in a better position than others and concluded that Serbia has excellent potential.
She said that the road to liberalisation of the visa regime is much longer and harder than obtaining EU candidate status and explained that the country cannot enter the white Schengen list simply by becoming an EU candidate, but that it has to make radical reforms in the field of legislation and internal affairs, conduct an uncompromising fight against organised crime and corruption and strengthen the legal state.
Sobieski said that Serbia will enter the EU as soon as that becomes feasible, stressing that there are no shortcuts on that road. She said that some countries are in a better position than others and concluded that Serbia has excellent potential.
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