Reintroduction of visas "great danger for W. Balkans"

BUDVA Ivica Dacic says that EU experts will visit Serbia at the beginning of February in order to analyze the situation in the fields of justice and internal affairs. The Serbian prime minister and interior minister took part in an EU-Western Balkans ministerial forum devoted to issues of justice and internal affairs, in the Montenegrin coastal town of Budva on Thursday. Reintroduction of visas "great danger for W. Balkans" He told Tanjug that he informed the forum’s participants about the latest developments in Serbia’s negotiations with the EU, adding that the forum also discussed visa liberalization issues. Serbia will do everything to resolve the issue of asylum-seekers in order to avoid the risk of of visa liberalization suspension threatening the Western Balkans countries, Dacic said. He recalled that the EU adopted a decision allowing for a visa liberalization suspension in case a member state faces a drastic increase in the arrival of the so-called illegal immigrants or asylum seekers. “This decision shall enter into force on January 9 and it is a great danger for the Western Balkan countries, given that visa liberalization is currently one of our biggest achievements on the European path,” Dacic said. He said that there are a lot of asylum seekers from the Western Balkans who seek asylum in EU member-states, and those from Serbia mostly go to Germany. Dacic said that the people from Serbia seeking asylum in the EU usually do this for economic reasons, and the greatest number of them are Roma and Albanians. “We will do everything to resolve the issue, and it is particularly important that the EU countries take action when it comes to shortening deadlines for dealing with asylum questions,” said Dacic. The forum also touched on regional police cooperation in the fight against drug trafficking and other crimes. Dacic said that Serbia will apply to host next year’s Mediterranean Forum. During the forum in Budva, Dacic met with European Commissioner for Home Affairs Cecilia Malmstrom, with who he discussed EU acquis Chapters 23 and 24, especially the parts regarding visa liberalization and illegal immigrants. He also met with Macedonian Interior Minister Gordana Jankuloska and Bosnia-Herzegovina Minister of Security Fahrudin Radoncic. (Tanjug, file) Tanjug

Reintroduction of visas "great danger for W. Balkans"

He told Tanjug that he informed the forum’s participants about the latest developments in Serbia’s negotiations with the EU, adding that the forum also discussed visa liberalization issues.

Serbia will do everything to resolve the issue of asylum-seekers in order to avoid the risk of of visa liberalization suspension threatening the Western Balkans countries, Dačić said.

He recalled that the EU adopted a decision allowing for a visa liberalization suspension in case a member state faces a drastic increase in the arrival of the so-called illegal immigrants or asylum seekers.

“This decision shall enter into force on January 9 and it is a great danger for the Western Balkan countries, given that visa liberalization is currently one of our biggest achievements on the European path,” Dačić said.

He said that there are a lot of asylum seekers from the Western Balkans who seek asylum in EU member-states, and those from Serbia mostly go to Germany.

Dačić said that the people from Serbia seeking asylum in the EU usually do this for economic reasons, and the greatest number of them are Roma and Albanians.

“We will do everything to resolve the issue, and it is particularly important that the EU countries take action when it comes to shortening deadlines for dealing with asylum questions,” said Dačić.

The forum also touched on regional police cooperation in the fight against drug trafficking and other crimes.

Dačić said that Serbia will apply to host next year’s Mediterranean Forum.

During the forum in Budva, Dačić met with European Commissioner for Home Affairs Cecilia Malmstrom, with who he discussed EU acquis Chapters 23 and 24, especially the parts regarding visa liberalization and illegal immigrants.

He also met with Macedonian Interior Minister Gordana Jankuloska and Bosnia-Herzegovina Minister of Security Fahrudin Radončić.