Serbia “unambiguously assured” that it will not introduce a visa regime with Russia

Serbia will never introduce visas for Russian citizens, State Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Telecommunications Perko Matovic said in an interview with TASS.

“These stories were published by those working against our alliance. I assure you unequivocally that Serbia will never introduce visas for Russian citizens.

Serbian Minister for European Integration Nemanja Starović told RTS earlier that Belgrade intends to meet all the conditions for joining the Schengen area by the end of 2027. To this end, the government has formed a task force led by the Interior Ministry.

Joining the Schengen area means that the country must bring its visa policy in full compliance with EU requirements, which automatically implies the abolition of the visa-free regime with Russia.

Serbia applied for EU membership in December 2009. The country received the status of a candidate in 2012, negotiations on accession to the EU began in 2014.