EFFORTS FOR MAINTAING VISA LIBERALIZATION

19. May 2011.

Maintenance of visa liberalization is in everyone’s interest in Serbia, it was concluded at the yesterday’s meeting between representatives of the Government of the Republic of Serbia and representatives of the Albanian ethnic community.

Discussants in the meeting, which was held in Belgrade, were Ivica Dacic, Minister of the Interior, Milan Markovic, Minister of Public Administration and Local Self-Government and of Human and Minority Rights and President of the Coordination Body of the Government of the Republic of Serbia for the Municipalities of Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja, Riza Halimi, the only representative of the Albanian community in the Serbian parliament, who is from the Party for Democratic Action, Saip Kamberi, President of the Municipality of Bujanovac, and Galip Beciri, President of the Albanian National Council.

At a press-conference, which was held after the meeting, Minister Dacic said that border control would be stepped up for the purpose of decreasing the number of asylum – seekers. However, he also said that police officers would respect human rights and wouldn’t be hostile towards members of those ethnic communities from which the greatest number of asylum – seekers come from.

Minister Dacic added that members of the Serbian government would soon talk about the issue of false asylum seekers with representatives of the Roma community, too. Most asylum seekers from Serbia are Roma and Albanians.

“Visa liberalization mustn’t be called into question”, said Riza Halimi, and added that representatives of the Serbian government, leaders of the Albanian community and representatives of the European countries with the greatest number of asylum seekers should jointly deal with the issue.

Minister Milan Markovic, President of the Coordination Body, pointed out that economic situation caused Serbia’s asylum seekers to go to the EU countries.