EU eases visa restrictions for five Balkan countries

02/01/2008

BRUSSELS, Belgium -- An agreement relieving visa restrictions for citizens of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia travelling to the EU entered into force on Tuesday (January 1st). The agreement will be applied in all EU member states except Denmark and the UK. It will also cover the nine new Schengen members -- the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia. The agreement will allow many groups to receive cheaper, and in many cases, even free visas for travel to the EU, and will simplify visa application procedures. (Vecer - 02/01/08; Makfax, MIA, RTS, RTRS - 01/01/08)