The spokeswoman of the European Commission for Internal Affairs, Anitta Hipper, emphasizes the necessity of harmonizing the visa policy in the countries of the Western Balkans with that of the EU.

In an interview for DW, the senior EU official was also asked about the possibility of suspending visas for Albania and Serbia, but emphasized that they are working closely to align the policies of these countries with those of the EU in order to ensure regular emigration. 

“The Western Balkans must fully harmonize the visa policy with the EU as part of the enlargement policy. The Commission has followed this issue in its annual report on the enlargement package and the visa suspension mechanism. It reiterated the recommendations for full alignment in the 2022 enlargement package and will do so in the fifth report on the visa suspension mechanism, due in mid-November,” Hipper said.

/k.s/