Macedonians see Schengen on the horizon

19/06/2009

With EU officials confirming it has met the conditions, Macedonia is poised to see visa restrictions lifted by the end of this year

By Zoran Nikolovski for Southeast European Times in Skopje -- 19/06/09

A young Macedonian calls for the abolition of the EU’s visa regime, during a 2006 protest in Skopje. [Getty Images]

If the projections are correct, Macedonians will soon be able to conduct business and take holidays without having to wait in lines, filling out piles of paperwork and spending significant amounts of money on visas.

The country has jumped ahead of its neighbours in the race towards visa liberalisation, and is expected to join the Schengen White List next year. According to EU Commissioner Jacques Barrot, Macedonia has made "good progress" in meeting the required benchmarks, while two other countries -- Serbia and Montenegro -- have made "progress".

Meeting in Luxembourg on Monday (June 15th), EU foreign ministers green-lighted European Commission plans to lift visa restrictions for all three. This could happen before the end of the year if the countries are deemed to have completed the requirements.

Macedonia has already done so, having received a 1 on the EC's assessment scale. The foreign ministry's web site says Macedonia was "the first country in the region to introduce biometric passports, ID cards and drivers' licenses of the highest quality".

The government welcomed the Luxembourg decision. Interior Minister Gordana Jankulovska said it was "confirmation that reforms in Macedonia are being carried out successfully and Macedonia is moving toward the EU and NATO".

According to a Gallup Balkan Monitor poll, 41.3% of Macedonians listed travel/visa facilitation as the number one step the international community could take in order to help the country.

While the liberalisation of the visa regime is a large step forward, beyond it lies the broader issue of EU membership.

Despite naysayers, spirits are high in Macedonia. A number of youth associations and the foreign affairs ministry organised a public discussion last week in Skopje in which they stressed Macedonia is ready for visa liberalisation. They described bringing down the Schengen wall as a technical, not a political issue.

"At the end of June or the beginning of July we expect the entire process to begin," said Deputy Prime Minister Ivica Bocevski.

"What is definite is that the Republic of Macedonia has completed the tasks for visa liberalisation and continues with this process. There is nothing which stands between Macedonia and the abolishing of visas," he added.