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Brussels pressures Balkan states to end visa-free regime for Russia
(MENAFN) Brussels is reportedly pressuring Bosnia and Herzegovina to terminate its visa-free arrangement with Russia, according to the Russian Embassy in Sarajevo.
Bosnia, which applied for EU membership in 2016 and received candidate status in 2022, has faced slow progress in accession talks, with alignment on foreign policy cited as a key hurdle.
The country currently allows Russian citizens to stay visa-free for up to 30 days within a 60-day period under a 2013 agreement and has avoided imposing sanctions on Moscow over the Ukraine conflict—largely due to opposition from Milorad Dodik, former long-time leader of Republika Srpska and a member of Bosnia’s tripartite presidency.
In a statement, the Russian Embassy said, “During the process of European integration, Brussels is exerting politicized pressure on [the Bosnia] authorities to cancel the visa-free regime with Russia in order to comply with so-called European standards.” The statement emphasized Bosnia’s sovereign right to determine its foreign policy priorities and warned Moscow would respond if Sarajevo drastically alters its visa policy.
European Parliament member Tomasz Zdechowski told the press that candidate countries must align their foreign policies with the EU, suggesting that keeping visa-free travel for Russians could threaten Bosnia’s accession. “A candidate country cannot have one foot in Moscow and the other in Brussels,” he said. “Integration into the EU requires a clear geopolitical choice.”
Republika Srpska, the Serb-majority autonomous region, continues to oppose changes to visa rules for Russians. Dodik resisted both sanctions on Moscow and Bosnia’s integration into NATO and the EU, instead advocating closer ties with Serbia and Russia. Supporters have argued that Dodik’s political persecution, including a prison sentence and a ban from politics earlier this year, was linked to his stance.
Although Dodik has agreed to step aside ahead of November regional elections, Srdjan Mazalica, a parliament member from Republika Srpska, told the press that authorities in Banja Luka will not permit the visa-free regime to be abolished.
Bosnia, which applied for EU membership in 2016 and received candidate status in 2022, has faced slow progress in accession talks, with alignment on foreign policy cited as a key hurdle.
The country currently allows Russian citizens to stay visa-free for up to 30 days within a 60-day period under a 2013 agreement and has avoided imposing sanctions on Moscow over the Ukraine conflict—largely due to opposition from Milorad Dodik, former long-time leader of Republika Srpska and a member of Bosnia’s tripartite presidency.
In a statement, the Russian Embassy said, “During the process of European integration, Brussels is exerting politicized pressure on [the Bosnia] authorities to cancel the visa-free regime with Russia in order to comply with so-called European standards.” The statement emphasized Bosnia’s sovereign right to determine its foreign policy priorities and warned Moscow would respond if Sarajevo drastically alters its visa policy.
European Parliament member Tomasz Zdechowski told the press that candidate countries must align their foreign policies with the EU, suggesting that keeping visa-free travel for Russians could threaten Bosnia’s accession. “A candidate country cannot have one foot in Moscow and the other in Brussels,” he said. “Integration into the EU requires a clear geopolitical choice.”
Republika Srpska, the Serb-majority autonomous region, continues to oppose changes to visa rules for Russians. Dodik resisted both sanctions on Moscow and Bosnia’s integration into NATO and the EU, instead advocating closer ties with Serbia and Russia. Supporters have argued that Dodik’s political persecution, including a prison sentence and a ban from politics earlier this year, was linked to his stance.
Although Dodik has agreed to step aside ahead of November regional elections, Srdjan Mazalica, a parliament member from Republika Srpska, told the press that authorities in Banja Luka will not permit the visa-free regime to be abolished.
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