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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Visa-free travel for Serbian citizens by year’s end

Belgrade, 26 March 2009

Deputy Prime Minister for EU Integration Bozidar Djelic stated in an interview with daily Blic that a decision allowing Serbian citizens to travel visa free should be made during the Swedish EU presidency in the second half of the year.

File photo of Bozidar Djelic

Author: Tanjug

Djelic said that according to the current plans of Brussels the decision should be made between June and the end of the year and announced a formal report by the end of this week on the conditions Serbia has fulfilled to enter the Schengen white list.

The reports are positive so far but there is more work to be done, he said, noting that the decision on a visa free regime will be made for each country separately and not for the region as a whole.

Djelic, who is on a three-day visit to Brussels, stated today that the EU decided to set aside funds from the EU under a special procedure.

He said that the Serbian government asked for €120 million assistance and announced that the funds will be specified in the second half of April.

The funds will come from the IPA programme and a loan given under favourable conditions, Djelic explained.

The banks operating in Serbia will be asked on Friday in Vienna to take part of the responsibility during this crisis year, he said.

They will be asked to participate in the credit activities for the private sector and also to support total stability by joining a consortium of banks that will back the financing of the Serbian budget deficit in 2009, he concluded.