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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Laws on state borders, foreigners vital for national security

Belgrade, 4 September 2008

Serbian First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Ivica Dacic said today that the bills on the protection of state borders and foreigners are greatly important for national security and will bring Serbia a step closer to inclusion in the White Schengen List.

Author: Fonet

Addressing a press conference, Dacic said that the bills which the government adopted at its session today, which due to their complexity must be implemented from April 1, 2009, have been drafted according to high international standards.

He explained that the bills have multifold significance in building a modern legal legislative framework in Serbia, improvement of law and order and overall national security.

The bill on protection of state borders will make it possible to implement the most important principles of integrated border management, which means open borders for the free movement of people and goods and closed borders for all forms of crime and illegal activities, said Dacic.

According to Dacic, the bill contains a number of novelties which will ensure its efficient implementation, a high standard of border control and prompt cooperation with all state organs.

The government has made efforts to make free movement of people and commerce easier, said Dacic and as an example presented the category of temporary border crossings which can be opened up under a simple procedure, to meet the needs of local population to easily access land which they are farming, and which is on the territory of another country.

Dacic stressed that it is a very important fact that according to this law the protection of state borders has permanently been taken over from the Serbian Army, which is one of the goals of the reforms being made in the process of EU integration – demilitarisation of borders.

He said that the adoption of the bill on foreigners means that for the first time Serbia will regulate the issue of entry, movement and stay of foreign citizens independently.

This law introduces a visa system which is in harmony with European standards and has four categories of visas: airport transit visa (visa A), transit visa (visa B), short stay visa (visa C) and visa for temporary stay (visa D), said Dacic.

According to Dacic, the bill also determines conditions for entry and stay of foreigners in Serbia with or without visa up to 99 days, as well as conditions for getting permission for temporary stay.

The government may make a decision on whether citizens of certain countries can enter Serbia with a valid identity card or documents which can provide data on personal identification and citizenship, said Dacic.

He stressed that this will create the legal basis for further improvement of bilateral relations with friendly countries and voiced hope that travel to other countries will become much simpler for Serbian citizens in the future.

Dacic said that implementation of the aforementioned bills will also significantly reduce illegal migration and cross border crime. He added that the adoption of these bills is one of the most important steps taken towards the removal of visa restrictions for Serbian citizens.

He recalled that a report has been prepared on the current situation in key areas in accordance with the outline of measures necessary for the removal of visa restrictions as determined by the EU.

According to Dacic, the report will soon be presented to the European Commission in order to resume an intensive dialogue in autumn on moving towards the White Schengen List.

Serbia’s inclusion in the White Schengen List is definitely a priority for the government and I hope that these bills will reach parliament very soon, said Dacic.

He said that on September 18, the Interior Ministry will sign an agreement on cooperation with the European Police (EUROPOL), fulfilling one more condition for removal of visa restrictions for Serbian citizens.