A seminar on “Visa Policies and Border Management”, intended for the civil servants from Western Balkans parliaments, was held on 18 and 19 May, at the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia. The seminar was organized by the European Integrations Committee with the support of the European Parliament and Regional Secretariat for Parliamentary Cooperation in South-Eastern Europe and it included the civil servants of the parliaments of the countries of the region.

Opening the seminar, the Secretary of the National Assembly Veljko Odalovic emphasized the importance of the insight such dialogue allows into certain segments of functioning of the states in the region within European framework, aimed at improving cooperation and furthering the visa policies and border management of countries sharing the same Euro-integration goals.

Odalovic reminded that the current convocation of the Assembly has adopted various laws very important for the so-called road map to the European Union and that comprehensive assembly activities on passing a large number of significant regulations are still to come to which, according to him, the Assembly administration should contribute to its full capacity.

Welcoming the representatives of parliamentary administration of the countries of the region, European Integrations Committee Chairman Laszlo Varga stressed the importance of mutual familiarization and cooperation, but stated that presenting the significance of European integration, rule of right and human rights to the public is equally important, as it will bring neighbours closer together and strengthen the ties with the European Union. Committee Chairman Varga also spoke of the visa liberalization process expressing his belief that Serbia will complete it successfully resulting in the introduction of no-visa regime for its citizens which will in turn stimulate the intensification of certain types of cooperation with both some countries and the European Union.

Representatives of the Czech Republic, Chair of the European Union, Hungary, Bulgaria, as well as representatives of the European Parliament, European Commission Delegation to the Republic of Serbia, Secretariat for Parliamentary Cooperation in South-Eastern Europe, South-Eastern Europe Regional Cooperation Council, European Commission Directorate-General for Justice, Freedom and Security and Migration, Asylum and Refugees Regional Initiative talked about the priorities and experiences in border management and visa policies. The discussion focused on regulatory instruments and harmonization of visa policies with communitarian law and instruments of modern technologies, and international cooperation in border management and visa regimes, as well as migratory policies in the European Union.

After the representatives of the parliaments of the countries of the region shared their information on the activities from the road map, all the participants of the two-day seminar agreed that mutual familiarization and exchange of experiences are important for the administration of the parliaments facing the ample work of passing a large number of documents necessary for the Western Balkan countries to join the European Union and pledged to continue cooperation and develop it further.