Hoping to avoid another surge in nationalism and fend off anti-European resentment among their population, Western Balkan countries are viewing elimination of visa barriers with the EU as a growing priority, diplomats from applicant countries told EurActiv.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the ambassador of one Western Balkan country admitted that as Europe struggles to improve the functioning of its institutions, politicians throughout the region have understood that, except for Croatia, EU membership is not a goal that can be attained in the medium term.
However, delaying EU entry prospects would require in return reassurances for Balkan countries that they have not been "forgotten", the diplomat added, saying scrapping visa requirements would seem to be the most suitable step.
Serbian Interior Minister Ivica Dačić recently said that his country had met all the conditions of its EU accession roadmap, and thus its citizens could expect "good news", the BETA news agency reported.
However, the mood in many Western capitals is not in favour of lifting the visa requirement, with countries like France and Germany preferring the term "visa liberalisation", which entails easing visas delivery for students, scholars, businessmen and the like. Visa-free travel for the entire region seems to be only a long-term goal, sources told EurActiv.
In addition, the unresolved conflict in Kosovo makes it difficult for the EU to decide on lifting the visa regime for Belgrade. If visas were abolished, ethnic Albanians from Kosovo would be able to claim Serbian passports, an EU official explained.
In the same way, if one of the countries in the region were able to lift visa barriers earlier than others, it could have a destabilising effect as ethnic minorities from across the Western Balkans would likely try to claim passports.
If Macedonia were to break the visa barrier, for instance, thousands of Albanians and Kosovars might line up in Skopje for passports, the official elaborated. He did not deny that EU countries generally fear waves of ethnic Albanian immigration.
