EP recommends visa liberalization

All of EU except UK and Ireland? Is it not sensible and fair to now include ourselves and Ireland in this visa liberalisation? If conditions are good for the rest of EU, why not for here too? Come on Gordon, do the right thing. I can travel to Serbia freely and do so because it is such a wonderfully friendly and welcoming country. Lets now return that welcome to the good people of Serbia. Lets be a truly United Europe at last. And before anyone makes any ridiculous negative comments, just stop and consider the positive impact of treating all of Europe in a balanced and fair way. It can only be good for all concerned, surely?

Congrats to the people of Serbia and Republika Srpska that will now save money and time applying to visas :-)

Next years tourist season in Greece will be booming with serbian tourists because of that!

I have Serbian friends who in order to vist the UK have had to undergo a long and tedious process to get a visitor's visa. At £75 it's expensive too. On October 18 I wrote to the British Foreign Secretary (David Milliband) and Foreign Secretary in waiting (William Hague) asking them to follow the example of the rest of Europe and grant visa free travel to Serbs. So far Mr Milliband has not replied but I have heard from Mr Hague. His response was sadly predictable, that Serbia must take positive steps to face up to its past as well as fulfilling its obligation as a democratic country before visa free travel can be granted. I fail to see any justification for the UK persisting in holding this outmoded view when 25 other European countries are happy to grant Serbs the right of visa free travel. I would urge anyone from the UK who reads this to write to the UK Government urging them to fall in line with the rest of Europe.

congrats Serbia, too bad that Kosovo serbs are not included, cause they really need to leave Kosovo asap

@UK: it's not a special treatment for serbia, but in general uk and ireland decided to stay out from the schengen agreement.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schengen_Agreement

Congrats to Serbia -- although I believe that all citizens in the Serbian province of Kosovo should have been included as well.

I wonder what has happend to Standards, Bulgarian and Romania in EU, and Serbia Macedonia in White Schengen.
In any case, congrats to people of Serbia

As a Romanian citizen, I can enter the UK and Ireland with my identity card. Serbian citizens will need a visa to enter the UK and Ireland after the visa liberalization.

As a Romanian citizen, I can enter the UK and Ireland with my identity card. Serbian citizens will need a visa to enter the UK and Ireland after the visa liberalization.
(Mircea, 12 November 2009 22:59)

And who cares where you can go with your ID card, just go if you can and stop bothering us with your stupid comments.

WELCOME to the Serbian people, am already preparing to welcome some of them after the 19th :)

As to England, well, outdated politic equivalent to the outdated infrustructure and healthcare system, nothing much to expect there, on the other hand when one can see people openly promoting sharia in the street (yest on BBC), one can wonder where the stupidity will end!!

As a Romanian citizen, I can enter the UK and Ireland with my identity card. Serbian citizens will need a visa to enter the UK and Ireland after the visa liberalization.
(Mircea, 12 November 2009 22:59)

There are some quite silly passport regulations in many countries and the usual advice is to use ID card only if you do not want to get a stamp for some reason. Otherwise use passport. Even on EU-EU border. Having passports of some major world powers and a small, fairly insignificant EU country at the same time is the best.

The cost of a passport ($50 or so for a 10-year) period can be afforded. If not, than the only option is to remain in own village forever because frequent visits to the closest city over 10 year period are more than $50.

As a Romanian citizen, I can enter the UK and Ireland with my identity card. Serbian citizens will need a visa to enter the UK and Ireland after the visa liberalization.
(Mircea, 12 November 2009 22:59)

Good for you. Any reason why you told us that?

All of EU except UK and Ireland? Is it not sensible and fair to now include ourselves and Ireland in this visa liberalisation? If conditions are good for the rest of EU, why not for here too? Come on Gordon, do the right thing. I can travel to Serbia freely and do so because it is such a wonderfully friendly and welcoming country. Lets now return that welcome to the good people of Serbia. Lets be a truly United Europe at last. And before anyone makes any ridiculous negative comments, just stop and consider the positive impact of treating all of Europe in a balanced and fair way. It can only be good for all concerned, surely?

As a Romanian citizen, I can enter the UK and Ireland with my identity card. Serbian citizens will need a visa to enter the UK and Ireland after the visa liberalization.

congrats Serbia, too bad that Kosovo serbs are not included, cause they really need to leave Kosovo asap

Congrats to Serbia -- although I believe that all citizens in the Serbian province of Kosovo should have been included as well.

I have Serbian friends who in order to vist the UK have had to undergo a long and tedious process to get a visitor's visa. At £75 it's expensive too. On October 18 I wrote to the British Foreign Secretary (David Milliband) and Foreign Secretary in waiting (William Hague) asking them to follow the example of the rest of Europe and grant visa free travel to Serbs. So far Mr Milliband has not replied but I have heard from Mr Hague. His response was sadly predictable, that Serbia must take positive steps to face up to its past as well as fulfilling its obligation as a democratic country before visa free travel can be granted. I fail to see any justification for the UK persisting in holding this outmoded view when 25 other European countries are happy to grant Serbs the right of visa free travel. I would urge anyone from the UK who reads this to write to the UK Government urging them to fall in line with the rest of Europe.

Congrats to the people of Serbia and Republika Srpska that will now save money and time applying to visas :-)

Next years tourist season in Greece will be booming with serbian tourists because of that!

I wonder what has happend to Standards, Bulgarian and Romania in EU, and Serbia Macedonia in White Schengen.
In any case, congrats to people of Serbia

@UK: it's not a special treatment for serbia, but in general uk and ireland decided to stay out from the schengen agreement.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schengen_Agreement

As a Romanian citizen, I can enter the UK and Ireland with my identity card. Serbian citizens will need a visa to enter the UK and Ireland after the visa liberalization.
(Mircea, 12 November 2009 22:59)

And who cares where you can go with your ID card, just go if you can and stop bothering us with your stupid comments.

WELCOME to the Serbian people, am already preparing to welcome some of them after the 19th :)

As to England, well, outdated politic equivalent to the outdated infrustructure and healthcare system, nothing much to expect there, on the other hand when one can see people openly promoting sharia in the street (yest on BBC), one can wonder where the stupidity will end!!

As a Romanian citizen, I can enter the UK and Ireland with my identity card. Serbian citizens will need a visa to enter the UK and Ireland after the visa liberalization.
(Mircea, 12 November 2009 22:59)

There are some quite silly passport regulations in many countries and the usual advice is to use ID card only if you do not want to get a stamp for some reason. Otherwise use passport. Even on EU-EU border. Having passports of some major world powers and a small, fairly insignificant EU country at the same time is the best.

The cost of a passport ($50 or so for a 10-year) period can be afforded. If not, than the only option is to remain in own village forever because frequent visits to the closest city over 10 year period are more than $50.

As a Romanian citizen, I can enter the UK and Ireland with my identity card. Serbian citizens will need a visa to enter the UK and Ireland after the visa liberalization.
(Mircea, 12 November 2009 22:59)

Good for you. Any reason why you told us that?