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Sat, Nov 21 2009
Serbia, Macedonia welcome Schengen visa decision
EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, Macedonian prime minister Nikola Gruevski
EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, Serbian president Boris Tadic.
The recommendation adopted by the European Commission on July 15 2009 that citizens of Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia with biometric passports be allowed to enter the Schengen area visa-free from January 2010 has been welcomed by the countries’ governments.
Serbian media quoted president Boris Tadic as saying that the EC recommendation was "big news" for Serbian citizens, and he was glad that other countries in the region would also be receiving visa liberalisation, as that raised the standard of living in the region.
"Serbia is not only responsible for itself, but for regional cooperation, as the central state in South-East Europe," Tadić said.
Prime Minister Mirko Cvetković echoed Tadić’s sentiments, but said that there was still much to be done and that the country should continue along the path it had taken.
"As of January 1, 2010, citizens of Serbia will be able to travel to European countries without visas and their personal dignity will thus be restored," Cvetković said.
In Skopje, Macedonian prime minister Nikola Gruevski said that the EC recommendation, which will be referred to the European Council of heads of state and government and to the European Parliament, was a genuine success for his country.
"Macedonia is opening up to the world, the world is opening up to Macedonia," Gruevski said.
The Commission said in its July 15 statement that it "remains committed" to visa liberalisation for the citizens of Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina too.
"However these countries have not yet fulfilled the conditions to be included in today's proposal," the European Commission said.
"If the pace of reforms is maintained and if all the conditions are fulfilled, the Commission could envisage making a new proposal including these countries by mid-2010."
Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina still need to continue their efforts to get a positive recommendation from the Commission.
"In Albania and in Bosnia and Herzegovina, shortcomings still exist in the institutional framework to fight against organised crime and corruption, in addressing weaknesses in the procedure for delivering passports, and in the areas of border and migration management."
Residents of Kosovo will not yet benefit from visa liberalisation either.
"The technical requirements for visa liberalisation have not yet been met on the territory of Kosovo. The Commission in this regard will continue to work closely with both the Serbian and Kosovo authorities and explore options for addressing the visa issue in the future," the European Commission said.
This caused disappointment in Bosnia and in Kosovo, and criticism from elsewhere in Europe.
"The visa policy for the successor states of the former Yugoslavia risks to create two classes of citizens in South Eastern Europe, based on ethnicity," reads a petition which started circling across Europe on July 15, and which has so far been signed by a veteran German diplomat and politician and former High representative to Bosnia, Christian Schwarz-Schilling, European parliamentary deputies Daniel Cohn-Bendit and Doris Pack, human rights activist Tilman Zülch, and scores of others, Balkan Insight reported.
Serbian media quoted president Boris Tadic as saying that the EC recommendation was "big news" for Serbian citizens, and he was glad that other countries in the region would also be receiving visa liberalisation, as that raised the standard of living in the region.
"Serbia is not only responsible for itself, but for regional cooperation, as the central state in South-East Europe," Tadić said.
Prime Minister Mirko Cvetković echoed Tadić’s sentiments, but said that there was still much to be done and that the country should continue along the path it had taken.
"As of January 1, 2010, citizens of Serbia will be able to travel to European countries without visas and their personal dignity will thus be restored," Cvetković said.
In Skopje, Macedonian prime minister Nikola Gruevski said that the EC recommendation, which will be referred to the European Council of heads of state and government and to the European Parliament, was a genuine success for his country.
"Macedonia is opening up to the world, the world is opening up to Macedonia," Gruevski said.
The Commission said in its July 15 statement that it "remains committed" to visa liberalisation for the citizens of Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina too.
"However these countries have not yet fulfilled the conditions to be included in today's proposal," the European Commission said.
"If the pace of reforms is maintained and if all the conditions are fulfilled, the Commission could envisage making a new proposal including these countries by mid-2010."
Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina still need to continue their efforts to get a positive recommendation from the Commission.
"In Albania and in Bosnia and Herzegovina, shortcomings still exist in the institutional framework to fight against organised crime and corruption, in addressing weaknesses in the procedure for delivering passports, and in the areas of border and migration management."
Residents of Kosovo will not yet benefit from visa liberalisation either.
"The technical requirements for visa liberalisation have not yet been met on the territory of Kosovo. The Commission in this regard will continue to work closely with both the Serbian and Kosovo authorities and explore options for addressing the visa issue in the future," the European Commission said.
This caused disappointment in Bosnia and in Kosovo, and criticism from elsewhere in Europe.
"The visa policy for the successor states of the former Yugoslavia risks to create two classes of citizens in South Eastern Europe, based on ethnicity," reads a petition which started circling across Europe on July 15, and which has so far been signed by a veteran German diplomat and politician and former High representative to Bosnia, Christian Schwarz-Schilling, European parliamentary deputies Daniel Cohn-Bendit and Doris Pack, human rights activist Tilman Zülch, and scores of others, Balkan Insight reported.
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Albania and Bosnia must reform to qualify for visa waiver, MEPs say
Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina must catch up on the reforms needed to qualify for a short-stay visa waiver like those allowed to Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro, the European Parliament’s civil liberties committee says, also calling for a ‘visa dialogue’ with Kosovo.
Schengen visa deal for Western Balkans goes to European Parliament
EU chiefs to brief European Parliament on September 16 2009 on plans to exempt Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia from Schengen visa requirements; final decision expected in November.
Serbia to submit EU candidacy application by the end of 2009
Visiting Sweden, currently holder of the EU presidency, Serbian foreign minister Vuk Jeremic is told that hopes are to do away with Schengen visa requirements for Western Balkan countries in coming months.
No man’s land
Fourteen years after the Dayton Agreement, which ended fighting in the Balkans, Bosnia and Herzegovina is still a divided country
Albania and Serbia in Kosovo ‘territorial integrity’ spat
Serbia protested formally to Tirana after Albanian prime minister Sali Berisha was quoted as saying ‘the national unity of Albanians should be a key idea in the policies of Albania and Kosovo’. Albania has rejected claims that it wants to undermine the territorial integrity of Serbia.
Serbia’s most miserable generation comes of age
The country’s youth remains cut off from the rest of the world, knowing only war, sanctions, poverty and economic crisis
Macedonian case against Greece reaches World Court on July 20
Court action against Greece by Macedonia arises from Athens blocking Skopje’s Nato aspirations because of the unresolved Macedonia name dispute.
Schengen exemption for Macedonia reduces demand for Bulgarian passports
Inquiries have ceased, says Skopje intermediary who ran a business helping Macedonians get Bulgarian passports. Macedonians are poised to be able to enter the Schengen area visa-free from the start of 2010.
EU gives Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia visa-free travel from January 2010
Citizens of the three Western Balkans countries with biometric passports will be able to travel to the Schengen countries visa-free, according to a proposal approved by the European Commission on July 15 2009.
Schengen deal for Serbia will not include Kosovo
The European Commission will on July 14 include Serbia, but not Kosovo, among the countries for which Schengen visa area access will be liberalised.
New rules for European Union visas
Third-country nationals will benefit from more consistent and transparent application procedures, European Council says after approving new rules for Schengen visas on June 25 2009.
Kosovo president proposes ‘mini-Schengen’ for the Balkans
Presidents of Albania, Montenegro, Macedonia and Kosovo meeting to discuss regional co-operation and European prospects of Western Balkans countries.
More in this category
Macedonia offers olive branch to Bulgaria
Under pressure from Brussels on the name issue dispute with Greece, Skopje seeks to re-build relationship with with Sofia.
Kosovo’s governing coalition breaks up – reports
Parties that governed together in Pristina fall out because of their battle in Kosovo’s local government elections.
Regional fallout from Macedonia name dispute
Media reports say that the EU will pressure Athens and Skopje to come up with a solution to the Macedonia name dispute by December 7, or Brussels will take a cooler approach to Macedonia’s EU hopes; while a row breaks out in Belgrade after Serbia’s foreign minister takes sides in the dispute.
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Renewed bank re-assurances for Romania despite stalled bailout-mandated reforms
The IMF has withdrawn its mission, which was due to assess Romania's compliance with the terms of the bailout, and now expects Romania to miss the fiscal deficit target set by the bailout agreement.
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plz tell me answer this question i wont european visa to any good countries so what can i do
macedonia mkd is nice state is goot country wery nice ilove republic of macedonia ....welome to eu /
i realy dont see the point off all this against the slavs and fyrom
all this all of you what righting is to much and w to much hate
people are same bad and good but no1 can say more bad things for no1
macedonia skopje or whatever all have the rights for them
i am half greak and half macedonian
what to do to hate theeople no thats not right my friend
in the and of the day all of us know that hate is big 0
all deswerve freedom and good life
so greece is 1 macedonia is one
Not to mention that Scottland has very active nationalist movement herself.
In fact - Scottish nationalism is in stark contrast of the general movement towards closer ties in the rest of the EU.
Commonsense,
don't get too excited about your corner of the world - until yesterday the Irish next door were blowing you guys up for fun and nationalism, so get off the high horse!
What's with Anglo-Saxons - always preaching to the world....
why can't you all play nice together? ALL countries, throughout the world are made up of peoples from many countries. Borders get drawn and redrawn. To argue about wheather Macedonia is Greek or not is a complete waste of effort. It doesn't matter where it started, it's where it is now that matters. Good God! I live in Scotland and we have been Pictish, Irish, Danish, Saxons, Normans. I could go on, but it's irellevent. I AM scottish. My country is a melting pot of all these people. Get used to it! It's the 21st Centuary!!
This extract from the International Court of Justice proceedings in the Hague about the Macedonia name issue should interest everybody:
http://www.icj-cij.org/docket/files/142/14963.pdf
It seems to show that ERYdM (FYRoM in French) is ready to present its case within a few months, but Greece is not. (A strange state of unreadiness, given the length of time that the dispute has raged on.) In the event ERYdM made the 20 July deadline OK, so it has the chance to present its case first (always an advantage !)
I am not a betting man, but if I were - my money would be on ERYdM/FYRoM to win this ICJ case. Certainly its advocates are starting well, whereas the Greek ones seem to have lost the initiative. (If they don't manage to make the January 2010 deadline, they are toast !)
Pure discrimination against Europenean muslims!! It is a shame!!!
sorry, i mean to post this link in place of the second one, my mistake
http://sofiaecho.com/2009/07/15/755688_eu-gives-serbia-montenegro-and-macedonia-visa-free-travel-from-january-2010
it is a sure thing :)
http://www.euro-dollar-currency.com/schengen_visa.htm
http://www.euro-dollar-currency.com/schengen_visa.htm
is it a sure thing that they won't need visa or is it just some thought of some polititian?
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slav's always and forever u know i know it everyone knows it,do the right thing and stop this nonsense.I understand you want land and an identity but did you have to take megas alexandros he is why i am so proud to be greek its not right skopje.
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vlad take it easy,hey why didnt any of the ancient macedonians have names like you guys but the greeks do very odd.I no you feel it in you but now you support fron the yankees so you keep on lying to urself and everyone else just admit it have the same blood as the bulgarians even look the same HUGE BLOCKHEADS
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what about Bosnia????
will there ever be fairness w/in Europe?
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This comment has been removed by the moderator because it contained .
This comment has been removed by the moderator because it contained .
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We let you slav's live on our land and then you decide to steal the entire history.How do live with ur self knowing your entire life and culture belongs to someone else.I've never really been a patriotic person but since i started reading about this injustice i cant stop reading and gathering info.I will not let this go skopje you think you won not by a long shot slav's. makedonia always hellenic you cannot rewrite history .
I agree Macedonia is Greek, Macedonian people ought to surrender and hand over their land to Greece and Macedonians should go to Albania. Also Former Republic of Yugoslavia Macedonia should not say that they are the true ancestors of Greek Macedonia because Slavs "current Macedonians” weren’t even on the Balkans yet, so Greeks predate their country. Also Macedonians are former Serbs, who just changed their last names, got a new religion or some reformed portion of Orthodoxy which no one accepts and they keep stealing everybody's history since they don’t have their own.
makedonia always greek you slav's know this and it burns you up inside.all you skops will pay for this crime very soon
I wonder how the Greeks will manage to sabotage this one as far as Macedonia is concerned (probably a negative vote in the Council of Ministers - the Commission proposal needs to go through Council to become enacted.)
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