EU to lift visas for Bosnia and Albania by end of year, Italy says

Luxembourg - Bosnia-Hercegovina and Albania are set to enjoy visa-free travel to the European Union's Schengen area by the end of the year, the Italian foreign minister Franco Frattini said Monday.

Frattini said "a positive announcement," set to encourage the two countries to complete reforms "on two or three" outstanding parameters would be given in time for the planned EU-Balkan summit in Sarajevo, on June 2.

The "final decision," the Italian minister added, would come "by October."

Frattini spoke after EU foreign ministers met in Luxembourg with the enlargement commissioner Stefan Fule, who is preparing a report on Bosnia and Albania's fitness to join the Schengen area.

"We were told by European commissioner Fule ... that Italy's wish to have a positive announcement at the June conference in Sarajevo on the visa liberalization for Bosnia and Albania will happen," Frattini said.

If the timetable were to be respected, the visa restrictions would likely be lifted in mid-December, exactly a year after a similar decision was applied to Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia.

The move would see all of the Western Balkans included in the Schengen area except Kosovo, which is not recognized by five out of the 27 EU member states.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/320658,eu-to-lift-visas-for-bosnia-and-albania-by-end.html.