Serbia, EU reach agreement on Frontex

Serbian Internal Affairs Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic and European Commissioner for Migration and Home Affairs Dimitris Avramopoulos initialed the agreement at their meeting in Belgrade on Wednesday.

The commissioner told a joint press conference that the agreement is intended to improve security on the outer borders of the European Union and help manage migrations.

He said Frontex will now be able to conduct its operations within Serbia and provide support in border control but added that it will not take over the competencies of Serbian bodies. Avramopoulos said the EU wants similar agreement with the other countries of the region as part of the process of accession to the Union for the Western Balkans.

“Cooperation with the Serbian government contributes to other goals with EU support,” the commissioner said, adding that the entire region should be working together to combat all forms of crime, terrorism and the illegal arms trade.

Minister Stefanovic said Serbia is committed to combatting all forms of crime and cooperates with all international partners to keep its citizens safe. “The important thing for Serbia is to do whatever is necessary to make sure its citizens have freedom of movement and we can only do that in close cooperation with everyone,” he said.

He recalled that the EU viewed Serbia as a member state during the migrant crisis. “This agreement is important for use because it opens new opportunities for Serbia and makes it easier to fight against migrations and provides greater security and protection for its citizens,” the minister said. He said the agreement would now be sent to parliament for ratification.