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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Serbia expected to fulfill conditions for visa abolition this year

Belgrade, 9 January 2009

Advisor to the Serbian Deputy Prime Minister for EU integration Ksenija Milivojevic said today that it is expected that this year Serbia will fulfill all conditions for the removal of visa restrictions for travel to the EU.

Ksenija Milivojevic

Author: Fonet

Speaking in an interview to the Beta news agency Milivojevic said that EU experts will begin arriving in Serbia in February to assess the progress made so far, adding that she hopes that Serbia will receive a positive assessment making it possible to remove visa restrictions.

She said that the decision to include Serbia on the Schengen “white list” will be made by EU ministers of interior, based exclusively on technical criteria.

Serbia needs to pass a few more laws and to implement the laws that were passed earlier, such as the laws on foreigners, the visa regime and borders, and to have completely integrated border management which includes the training of border management personnel, said Milivojevic.

She said that it is also necessary to adopt strategies for the fight against organised crime, terrorism and money laundering.

Speaking about Serbia’s decision to unilaterally implement the transitional trade agreement with the EU she said that this shows Serbia’s political will to continue with EU integration and is in the economic interest of the country because it will lead to increased competition.

She said that even though the most obvious effect of implementing the agreement will be decreased revenues because of abolishing the customs duty the long term effects will be positive and will open up the Serbian economy and market to the EU and more importantly will increase competition in the Serbian economy.

She said that removing customs duties will make the Serbian economy more competitive because it will have to compete with EU products.

Milivojevic said that the implementation of the transitional trade agreement will speed up the process for getting candidate status because the condition for getting that status is one-year implementation of the agreement.

She added that Serbia will apply for EU membership as soon as the Transitional Trade Agreement unfreezes.

Milivojevic reiterated that the extradition of the Hague indictee Ratko Mladic is not a precondition for Serbia’s inclusion in the Schengen “white list”, but for its acquisition of the EU candidate status.

Asked whether the global financial crisis will affect the EU’s stance regarding its enlargement in the Balkans, Milivojevic said that will not happen as the effects of the crisis will diminish until the first half of 2009.

Montenegro has already applied for EU membership and Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia will soon do the same, said Milivojevic.

She voiced hope that the EU will provide additional funds to Serbia and recalled that Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic has already discussed the issue with EU Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner Joakin Almunia.

Milivojevic pointed out that as President of the International European Movement she will advocate for Serbia’s position and its interests within both organisations and the EU and insist on the issue of the Western Balkans’ EU integration.