MACEDONIA: Macedonia to Introduce Free Visa Regime with EU in 2009

Both Macedonia and Brussels consider that a report on the Road Map for visa liberalization is more than positive and reflects the realistic situation in all spheres, Vice-Premier in charge of European Affairs Ivica Bocevski said at a press conference.

Solid progress has been notified in all spheres, namely – very good in documents security, good one in border management, asylum and migration and substantial one in public law and order, Bocevski said.

Macedonia has been also showing good results in political reforms, the Vice-Premier said.

Macedonia has been making substantial progress in regard to biometric passports. Over 20 percent of its citizens possess such passport – i.e. close to 400,000, which put the country on the top of Europe’s list, Bocevski said, reminding that all EU members should introduce the biometric passport by July 1, 2009.

Current and future holders of the EU Presidency France and the Czech Republic fully support Macedonia in terms of the free visa regime, Bocevski said.
He also referred to the EU challenges in 2009, such as the Lisbon Treaty, EU relations with the new US Administration, European Parliament elections.

However, he said all of those developments should not affect on the visa liberalization process, launched by the European Commission.

Accordingly, we believe that in 2009 there will be no visa requirements for the most successful Balkan country in this process, Bocevski said.

The EC report recognizes Macedonia’s progress in the visa liberalization road map, which wraps up the processes’ first phase.

The report notifies Macedonia’s achievements in all areas - document security, illegal migration, public order and security as well as external relations and fundamental rights. Accordingly Macedonia expects from the EC in early 2009 to initiate the legal procedure with the Council of the European Union for introducing a free visa regime in the course of next year.

Source: www.vlada.mk