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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

New Serbian passports by end of May

Belgrade, 19 March 2008

Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic said today that he is convinced that Serbia will be included on the White Schengen List by the end of this year, which will enable Serbian citizens to travel without visa restrictions to Schengen countries.

Bozidar Djelic, left, and Biljana Stepanovic

In a statement to the news agency Fonet following talks with head of the jury of the project “New Serbian Passport – Serbia’s New Face” Biljana Stepanovic, Djelic stressed that the new Serbian passport which is modern, biometric and opens up Schengen borders, will be available to citizens by the end of May.

He said that by the end of May the first 204 Serbian passports will be issued to the most prominent Serbian citizens who are not in the media spotlight and called upon citizens to nominate candidates for the first passports.

According to Djelic, the idea is not to issue passports first to famous people, rather to those who are not known to the general public, but are distinguished by their brave and noble deeds.

The Serbian Deputy Prime Minister recalled that negotiations with the European Commission on visa liberalisation began at the end of January and added that he expects that Serbia will receive the list of criteria from Brussels within a few weeks which it must satisfy in order to be included on the White Schengen List.

I am convinced that we will accomplish everything on time without any problems, said Djelic and added that Biljana Stepanovic is a national hero since together with her husband she raised many children and guided them well.

She proves that despite all the problems we have there are wonderful people in our country. I am very proud that she has accepted the position as head of the jury which is tasked with recognising the brave and noble people in Serbia, said Djelic.

Stepanovic said she is grateful for having been given the honour to preside over the jury and recalled that the jury’s key criterion will be humanity.

Stepanovic, who raised 38 children with her husband, explained that the advantage will be given to young people and students who do not have many opportunities to travel.

The project is being conducted by the Serbian government with the aim of promoting the new travel document, considering that for the first time in 90 years Serbia will have its own national passport.

Together with its media partners – Radio Television Serbia and the Vecernje Novosti daily – the government invited citizens to nominate people from their towns and villages, as well as from the Diaspora, who deserve to be recipients of the first 204 passports.

Nominations may be submitted until March 25 and the jury will choose 204 candidates.

Head of the jury will be Biljana Stepanovic, and its members will include director of the German company ARRI Dejan Ilic, geneticist Miodrag Stojkovic, singer Zdravko Colic, basketball player Aleksandar Djordjevic and representatives of Radio Television Serbia and Vecernje Novosti.

The jury will judge based on the following criteria: generosity and courage, achievements in various areas, excellence achieved in schools and at universities and recognition of Serbia abroad.