Serbian, Macedonian and Montenegrin citizens gain visa-free access to Bulgaria

Serbian, Macedonian and Montenegrin citizens will be able to travel around Europe without visas, starting December 19 2009.

The move has been hailed as a big step in the future of European Union integration.

European Union rules have been altered, allowing Serbs, Macedonians and Montenegrins visa-free access to all 25 Schengen member states, as well as three states outside the European Union; Iceland, Norway and Switzerland.

"This is a very important day for Serbian citizens, " Serbian president Boris Tadic was quoted as saying by international media. "We have to remind ourselves that 20 years ago we did not need visas and today we are returning back to that."

The remaining countries from the western Balkans, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina did not qualify for the conditions. Serbia, Macedonia and Montenegro had accomplished requirements put forward by Brussels, including "tightening up security and border control, introduction of biometric passports and identity cards, and to show a marked improvement in the fight against corruption and organised crime, " Dnevnik said.

On December 19, Macedonian president Gjorge Ivanov was to visit Bulgaria. Meanwhile at the Bulgarian-Macedonian border crossing point there would be an official ceremony, marking the beginning of visa-free travel for Macedonians to Bulgaria. After the ceremony, Ivanov was to meet Bulgarian President Georgi Purvanov in the town of Bansko.

The United Kingdom, however, remains off-limits for visa-free travel because it is not part of the common border-free area.