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Sat, May 26 2012
Serbian, Macedonian and Montenegrin citizens gain visa-free access to Europe
Women wait to check in with new biometric passports at the Aleksandar the Great airport in Skopje December 19 2009.
Macedonian Government organized a free one-day visit to Paris for 100 citizens, who would be the first Macedonian nationals to benefits from visa-free travel to the European Union. The EU allowed visa-free travel inside the 27-country bloc for Serbia, Macedonia and Montenegro from December 19.
Photo: Ognen Teofilovski
Serbian, Macedonian and Montenegrin citizens will be able to travel around Europe without visas, starting December 19 2009, Dnevnik daily reported.
The move has been hailed as a big step in the future of European Union integration.
European Union rules have been altered, allowing Serbs, Macedonians and Montenegrins visa-free access to all 25 Schengen member states, as well as three states outside the European Union; Iceland, Norway and Switzerland.
"This is a very important day for Serbian citizens," Serbian president Boris Tadic was quoted as saying by international media. "We have to remind ourselves that 20 years ago we did not need visas and today we are returning back to that."
The remaining countries from the western Balkans, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina did not qualify for the conditions. Serbia, Macedonia and Montenegro had accomplished requirements put forward by Brussels,including "tightening up security and border control, introduction of biometric passports and identity cards, and to show a marked improvement in the fight against corruption and organised crime," Dnevnik said.
On December 19, Macedonian president Gjorge Ivanov was to visit Bulgaria. Meanwhile at the Bulgarian-Macedonian border crossing point there would be an official ceremony, marking the beginning of visa-free travel for Macedonians to Bulgaria. After the ceremony, Ivanov was to meet Bulgarian President Georgi Purvanov in the town of Bansko.
The United Kingdom, however, remains off-limits for visa-free travel because it is not part of the common border-free area.
The move has been hailed as a big step in the future of European Union integration.
European Union rules have been altered, allowing Serbs, Macedonians and Montenegrins visa-free access to all 25 Schengen member states, as well as three states outside the European Union; Iceland, Norway and Switzerland.
"This is a very important day for Serbian citizens," Serbian president Boris Tadic was quoted as saying by international media. "We have to remind ourselves that 20 years ago we did not need visas and today we are returning back to that."
The remaining countries from the western Balkans, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina did not qualify for the conditions. Serbia, Macedonia and Montenegro had accomplished requirements put forward by Brussels,including "tightening up security and border control, introduction of biometric passports and identity cards, and to show a marked improvement in the fight against corruption and organised crime," Dnevnik said.
On December 19, Macedonian president Gjorge Ivanov was to visit Bulgaria. Meanwhile at the Bulgarian-Macedonian border crossing point there would be an official ceremony, marking the beginning of visa-free travel for Macedonians to Bulgaria. After the ceremony, Ivanov was to meet Bulgarian President Georgi Purvanov in the town of Bansko.
The United Kingdom, however, remains off-limits for visa-free travel because it is not part of the common border-free area.
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Macedonia-Greece 1:0
PLEASE CAN A LEGALIZED FOREIGN STUDENT IN MOTENEGRO TRAVEL WITHOUT VISA TO THE SHENGEN AREA TOO?
it is need vias for a long period stay in shengen area
it is need vias for a long period stay in shengen area
This comment has been removed by the moderator because it contained foul, abusive or discriminating language
Merry Christmas Visa ,guess what Greece is going bankrupt!!
A funny thing with this whole storie.I still dont understant why it was so important.I mean Visa liberization,means that you people can go to EU countries but just for travelling you cant stay.I mean if someone can travel lets say to France,and he is able to spent lets say 1000 euros for five days(afterall you need 50 euros in the borders for every day you intent to stay in any EU country)then the problem was the 50 or i dont know 100 euros that you needed to pay for the VISA??I mean i dont get it.And this bussines think is [...]
Read the full comment stupi.If i was a bussines man my problem would be the money for the Visa cause i know from friends that its not a big deal regarding the time that you need to get a Visa.So the whole deal is stupid and what is more stupid is that the country that in reallity supported you most(im refering to Fyrom)regarding the EU was UK and they didnt abolished Visas!!I mean its redicilus!!!Anyway for me as a person who lives in the balkans this is good.Im happy for all of you but most important for the Serbs.I want Serbia in EU they deserve it!!And ofcourse is the tourism too.And from this storie the winners is still as and the loosers are the Fyromians.Cause simply those who had dificulties to take a visa to come in Greece now they wont have,and if you people had any ammount of tourism now its finished,cause the tourists you had(most of them Serbs)were coming in Fyrom simply because they couldnt get a Visa for Greece,and because between Fyrom and Serbia there was no need for Visa.So whats the whole happines i dont get it honestly!!Anyway,we wait you all on the summer and ofcourse now in the hollidays(IKEA)your favorite store and Theesalonikis stores generally are open for you people!!Merry Christmas!!
Sasha you can call yourself Bulgarian or Greek all you want, but leave us real Macedonians alone!!
Whether Dec 19 will be recorded as a historical milestone or not is mute for it doesn't change the fact that pre-Dec 19 many Macedonians were already travelling abroad. But the cutting of red tape will have 2 effects it will allow quicker access to travel and it will allow those who would never travel a chance to see their neighbours which our government has so oftenly negatively portrayed and this way they can see for themselves that they are not the evil people our government advocates. The Macedonian Youth are obviously ecstatic about the prospects (see Balkaninsight where our [...]
Read the full comment left wing Youth hold a non-nationalisic Macedonian flag showing our modern borders and not these fantasy seeking diaspora borders) and one of the first objectives of many of our student representatives is to secure closer relations and networks with our counterparts in Greece and Bulgaria to finally cement our regional identities. The Macedonian identity of all our regional neighbours finally have a physical narrative. All Macedonians whether of Bulgarian or Greek background will work towards our goals of mutual acceptance, understanding and most importantly educating the general public about our similar and yet different affiliations. The jingoistic nationalism pursued by many in the diaspora will slowly evaporate as many Macedonians of every ethnic background will meet each other on common ground here, to show the hardliners that there are regional Macedonian identities and that encroaching on your neighbours historical narrative (e.g. the antiquisationists) does not warrant negating each other. The most hardest hit will be the diaspora who for years have used their distance effectively to sway and bankroll our right wing government in negative media campaigns, misinformed education documantaries, and fabricated perceptions of ancient connections. The people of Macedonia will now venture and see for themselves how our Bulgarian brothers and sisters have respected us and our common history and also how our Greek neighbours also have a right to their ancient Macedonian links. This new step we take will open the way especially for the common people who have never ventured outside their villages and only heard all their history and news from the comfort of their homes, they will see how easily they can converse with their Bulgarian kin over the borders in Greece and Bulgaria.
Macedonia 4 the Macedonian Youth.
Long Live the Macedonian Youth.
I honestly think that this would be quite enough for Macedonian citizens, no-visa travel all across EU and soon South Americas. People will have the chance to see Europe and exchange experiances. We don't need to join NATO and EU & change the Name just to satisfy Gayreek demands. I'm sure that that very soon macedonian youngsters will realise (even though they know that already) that joining NATO & EU doesent mean that all the problems will be solved at once and they will have good jobs and loaded pockets with money.
Macedonia for Macedonians forever. Greets to [...]
Read the full comment my fellow Bulgarians journalists from Chicago