SEVENTEEN EU MEMBER STATES DECIDED TO APPLY VISA FEE EXEMPTIONS TO SERBIA WITH MAXIMUM FLEXIBILITY
On 6 May Lithuania together with sixteen other EU Member States decided to apply with maximum flexibility visa fee exemptions to Serbia which are allowed by the Schengen acquis. This is the sign of the EU will to support Serbia’s European aspirations.
According to Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Petras Vaitiekūnas, this agreement of the major part of the EU Member States is a clear signal to the people of Serbia, showing that they are an integral part of Europe.
“This decision should strengthen ties between Serbs and other people of the EU. Democratic Serbia has EU membership perspective,” P. Vaitiekūnas said.
According to the Minister, facilitation of the visa regime should become one of the most important means of the European Neighbourhood Policy. The aim of this policy – to reduce barriers between the EU and its neighbour states in order to develop closer cooperation links in the areas of culture, business and other.
The European Commission estimates that this would provide a possibility to issue a free visa to up to 80 % of Serbian citizens.
On 18 April Slovenia currently presiding over the EU urged the Member States to facilitate visa issue for citizens of Serbia and other Balkan States. Austria, the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Greece, Spain, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, France, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Hungary, Germany and Norway agreed to apply to Serbia visa fee exemptions with maximum flexibility.
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