Albania gets roadmap for visa liberalization

TIRANA, June 3 – Foreign Minister Lulzim Basha went to Brussels Tuesday to receive from the European Union headquarters the roadmap the country should follow in order to be issued visa liberalization with the bloc of nations.
The roadmap follows a balanced approach setting benchmarks which are realistic and achievable. It sets clear requirements for reforms to be implemented in key areas such as security of documents, border management, the fight against illegal migration, the fight against organized crime and corruption and, also, in the area of fundamental rights.
The roadmap identifies four sets of issues to be covered by the dialogue: document security, illegal migration, public order and security, as well as external relations and fundamental rights items linked to the movement of persons. Key elements of the blocks include: improvement of document security and, in particular, the introduction of biometrics in travel documents, better management of migratory risks, efficient law enforcement cooperation including cooperation with Europol and enhanced measures to fight against organized crime and corruption.
Issuing visas to Albanian during the post-communist period has been a major problem that has prohibited their movement in western European countries. Very often, for Albanians, the EU has meant a visa to find employment.
Albania was the first country to sign the repatriation agreement with Brussels and, following that, with separate EU countries.
The roadmap gives clear indications to Albanian authorities on measures that need to be taken in order to grant visa free travel to all its citizens.
“I attach the greatest importance to facilitating people to people contacts, in particular for the younger generation. I am convinced that easy travel conditions will increase mutual understanding and improve our relations in all fields. The roadmap on visa facilitation is certainly another important step towards the EU integration of Albania,” said European Commission Vice President Jacques Barrot, in charge of Justice, Freedom and Security.
“Yet, the roadmap offers more advantages to the citizens of Albania”, VP Barrot continued, “as it will encourage the country to continue implementing the relevant reforms and reinforcing cooperation at regional level and with the EU in areas such as strengthening the rule of law, fighting organized crime and corruption.”
Since 1 January 2008, Albanian citizens enjoy the benefits of a visa facilitation agreement with the European Union. This agreement provides simplified procedures for issuing visas, including a visa fee waiver for a broad range of categories of citizens including students, sportsmen and sportswomen, cultural workers, journalists, people visiting family members living in the EU, people in need of medical treatment, businesspeople, and others. Up to 50 percent of Albanian citizens would currently be exempt from the visa fee. People who do pay for visas are charged a special, reduced rate of 35 Euros instead of 60 Euros.
In March 2008, the dialogue on visa liberalization with Albania was launched. The roadmap is a concrete step towards visa liberalization.
The Commission will report regularly on the implementation of the roadmap and will eventually consider the possibility to present a proposal for the lifting of the visa obligation for citizens of Albania.
The effective implementation of the Visa Facilitation and Readmission Agreements is a concrete stage and pre-condition for the success of the visa liberalization dialogue.
Basha assured Brussels that the Albanian government considered such a process of special importance and would be fully committed to comply with all the requests and the necessary reforms as set in the document.