Brussels, Belgium (AHN) – The European Parliament has approved a bill that will move Albania and Bosnia a step closer to accessing visa-free travel while moving inside the Schengen area. The measure came weeks before the Council of EU Interior Ministers’ meeting, which is scheduled next month, where the ministers are likely to approve the idea.

The visa-free system would allow Albanian and Bosnian citizens easier travel to 25 European nations, excluding the United Kingdom, Bulgaria, Ireland, Iceland, Romania, Norway and Switzerland.

Three other Balkan states, Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia have received visa-free travel privileges.

Hailing the move, Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha expressed optimism that the EU ministers would pass the law during their next month’s meeting. Some 255 out of 345 parliamentarians at the EU’s Council of Ministers must give their approval to enact the bill.

France, Denmark and the Netherlands have opposed the move, claiming that granting visa-free privileges to these two states will open Asian drug trafficking routes to Europe. Notably, France, one of the main opponents, failed to block illegal immigration in its own country and recently faced international criticism over its controversial policies.

View full post on All Stories