EU: Bumpy road to visa-free regime

No real progress has been made toward abolishing visas for the citizens of Western Balkan countries traveling to the EU. This is according to Karel Schwarzenberg, foreign minister of the Czech Republic, which is currently chairing the EU, quoted by Beta news agency in Brussels on Monday. EU: Bumpy road to visa-free regime There are still differences within the EU on the liberalization of the visa regime for the Western Balkans, he said in response to a letter from Italy and Slovenia asking the EU for substantial progress on the issue this year. At a news conference after a ministerial session, Schwarzenberg said the road toward liberalization "seems to be bumpy". He explained that the discussion would continue but that he could not report any real progress. In the letter sent to the Czech Republic, the foreign ministers of Italy and Slovenia, Franco Frattini and Samuel Zbogar, which Beta has had access to, pointed out that Rome and Ljubljana were sure that the European perspective of the Western Balkans had to remain at the top of the agenda and that it had to be discussed at the session of the EU foreign ministers.

EU: Bumpy road to visa-free regime

There are still differences within the EU on the liberalization of the visa regime for the Western Balkans, he said in response to a letter from Italy and Slovenia asking the EU for substantial progress on the issue this year.

At a news conference after a ministerial session, Schwarzenberg said the road toward liberalization "seems to be bumpy".

He explained that the discussion would continue but that he could not report any real progress.

In the letter sent to the Czech Republic, the foreign ministers of Italy and Slovenia, Franco Frattini and Samuel Zbogar, which Beta has had access to, pointed out that Rome and Ljubljana were sure that the European perspective of the Western Balkans had to remain at the top of the agenda and that it had to be discussed at the session of the EU foreign ministers.