• Saturday, 02 November 2024

Zaev: Visa liberalization often misused unfortunately 

Zaev: Visa liberalization often misused unfortunately 
Skopje, 30 September 2021 (MIA) – Just because the problem doesn’t exist in our country doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t be worried about something that’s happening the Western Balkans. If it exists in neighboring countries, it’ll come knocking at our door too. Visa liberalization has its criteria and standards which must be honored and kept. Unfortunately, individuals tend to abuse it often, stated PM Zoran Zaev, who commented on the document that states that some EU member states are concerned about the misuse of visa liberalization. “It’s expected of countries who have visa liberalization without being members of the EU, like the Western Balkan countries, to take appropriate steps. Our steps are preventative, but it doesn’t mean that it won’t happen for an individual to go to a EU country based on visa liberation and to seek political or economic asylum, which is truly impermissible. If we get verified in reports about liberty, transparency, democracy, there’s no reason for such things to happen,” Zaev pointed out. The PM said that North Macedonia is economically weaker than EU member states, but this is not reason enough for economic asylum. dk/ba/