Voormalige Joegoslavische Republiek Macedonië vraagt de EU om vrije visumverschaffing burgers (en)

CES/09/118

28 September 2009

The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia JCC calls the EU to grant visa free travel to the citizens of the country

On 25 September 2009, the EU-The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia Civil Society Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) welcomed the proposal of the Commission to grant visa free travel to citizens of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and called on the other EU institutions to follow suit. JCC members also asked for the accession negotiations between the EU and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to be opened as soon as the benchmarks set in the Accession Partnership are met.

The meeting was attended by representatives of EU institutions, and observers from various associations and think-tanks involved in activities in the Western Balkans.

Mrs Anna Craenen, representative of the Swedish Presidency of the EU, EESC Vice-President Mrs Irini Pari and Mr Filip Hamro-Drotz, President of the External Relations section of the EESC also spoke during the public session.

The JCC was co-chaired by Mrs Vladimíra Drbalová, Director for International Organisations and European Affairs of the Czech Confederation of Industry Republic (EESC Member, Czech Republic), and by Mr Sašo Klekovski, Director of the Macedonian Centre for International Cooperation.

Following a presentation made by Mr Bernhard Boehm, European Commission analyst, on the financial and economic crisis in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, JCC members called on policy makers to boost investment in education in order to improve the qualifications of the labour force, and to enhance the conditions for domestic and foreign investment.

JCC members further encouraged the Government of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to strengthen the social and civil dialogue, stressing that this would be a key factor in optimising the ongoing reform process.

The second JCC meeting is scheduled to take place in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia in early 2010. The main topic will be economic and social rights. With this new JCC, the EESC is now pleased to have established civil society joint bodies with the three candidate countries for EU accession: Turkey, Croatia, and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.