Visa restrictions for Serbs traveling throughout the EU are expected to be abolished by the end of the year, says Foreign Affairs Minister Vuk Jeremic, after his meeting with EU officials Javier Solana and Oli Rehn.
Jeremic also announced that he expects the EU to make decision on financial help to Serbia soon.
After the meeting with Jeremic, Oli Rehn said that European Commission will give its opinion on abolishing visas for Serbian citizens by the end of June 2009, and then, the EU Ministers Council will make a final decision on the issue. Rehn also added that the European Commission has made an effort in order to transfer money from the EU’s pre-accession funds to the Serbian budget.
According to a statement from the cabinet of the EU foreign and security policies’ chief, Jeremic had “a very good and friendly meeting,” with Solana where they discussed relations between the EU and Serbia, especially the latter’s European perspective and the chances of a speedy visa liberalization scheme for Serbia and the region.
The statement added that Solana and Jeremic supported good cooperation between the EU and Serbia regarding Kosovo, including cooperation with the EULEX mission.
The meeting was also a chance for Solana and the Serbian Foreign Minister to look at the general situation in the Western Balkans, concludes a statement from Solana’s cabinet.