Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Security Minister Nenad Nesic said that the European Union (EU) is pressuring Türkiye, Russia, and China to apply for visas. The Bosnian minister stated that the EU has brought this demand to the fore for the continuation of the visa liberalization agreement that has been applied to Bosnian citizens since 2010.
European Union (EU)officials want Bosnia-Herzegovina to also apply for visas to countries such as Türkiye, Azerbaijan, China, Russia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar, Bosnia-Herzegovina’s Security Minister Nenad Nesic said to press members.
“They asked us to apply for visas, but I told them that there is no agreement on visas for citizens of Russia and Türkiye, because Serbs do not accept visas for Russia and Bosniaks do not accept visas for Türkiye,” Nesic said.
Nesic said that they will make gradual progress by applying for visas to some countries regarding the binding request for the continuation of the visa exemption agreement that Bosnia-Herzegovina has with the EU.
“In this way, we show in some way that we are ready to make compromises and that we belong to the European family,” he added.
Emphasizing that Bosnia-Herzegovina was asked by the European Commission to start taking steps to harmonize its visa policy with the EU, Nesic stated that their priorities are countries where visa-free travel application poses irregular migration and security threats.
It was claimed that Brussels was uncomfortable with the influence of Russia and China, especially Türkiye, in the Balkans. Türkiye’s establishment of a trilateral mechanism between Croatia-Serbia and EU member Croatia to maintain peace in the region and increase its influence is closely followed by the EU.
Bosnia-Herzegovina, which is not a member of the EU, is among the 115 countries that do not require a visa from Turkish citizens. The Balkan country, which stands out with its nature and history, stands out as one of the most important foreign routes of Turks recently.
Source : Turkiye News