Tirana Times
TIRANA, Oct. 11 – Prime Minister Sali Berisha on Monday urged all lawmakers and public institutions to launch an intensive campaign to tell Albanians that the visa liberalization means only a 90-day stay for every six months in the European Union Schengen member countries – and it comes with no other benefits.
Berisha said that young people should be involved in the campaign and also distribute leaflets to every Albanian. He said that the entry would be only for visiting tourist purposes – not to work.
Last week the European Parliament voted in favor of visa liberalization for Albania and Bosnia.
The interior ministers of the European Union will very likely decide for that in early November and in December Albanians may be fee to travel to Europe without first asking for a visa.
Europe fears that thousands of Albanians and Bosnians will feel it is their right to go there and stay and look for a job. There were reports of Macedonians and Serbs doing the same thing once they received visa-free travel last year.
Slovenian EP lawmaker Tanja Fajon, who made the draft law for the visa liberalization and who has been a promoter of freedom of travel for these western Balkan countries, warned Sunday that if that thing happens it would be no surprise if some countries would re-impose the visas for Albanians.
Speaking at a talk show in Albania she said Europe would be very attentive and then tough if that happened.
She made it clear that reimposing the visa process is not that hard as lifting them. That should be understood from Albanians
Interior ministers of Albania and Bosnia pledged that the road map benchmarks set from Europe would continue to be their program of the future. Bosnian Interior Minister Sadik Ahmetovic came to Albania last week to meet with host Albanian Lulzim Basha.
They said the responsibility of their ministries increased following the process of visa liberalization.
They also suggested the launch of a process of lifting the need of a passport for their residents in bilateral visits and likely in the region, using only the identity cards instead.
