Foreign relations of the European Union

The European Commission said Dec. 21 that it has asked the European Council for a mandate to launch talks with Turkey to modernize the existing 20-year-old EU-Turkey Customs Union.

The Serbian National Assembly's Committee on Foreign Affairs has approved a draft law to confirm a visa abolishing agreement between Serbia and China.

The agreement aims to scrap visas for holders of ordinary passports.

Croatia has blocked the opening of Chapter 26 in Serbia's EU accession negotiations, prompting Aleksandar Vucic to leave Brussels late on Monday.

The Serbian prime minister was in Brussels for a meeting with EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, and intended to take part in the Serbia-EU Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) on Tuesday.

European Union member states on Nov. 17 approved visa-free travel for Ukraine citizens, long sought by Kiev to help cement ties as it combats pro-Russian rebels in the east.

Visa-free travel was part of an EU-Ukraine partnership accord signed in 2014 as the country, a Soviet-era satellite, angered Moscow by casting its lot with the West.

Turkey does not fulfill seven of the requirements for the abolition of the visa regime. We reckon that two of these requirements cannot be fulfilled at present, stated a spokesperson of the European Commission, cited by bTV.

The conditions for the abolition of the visa regime are conditions. When they are fulfilled, the visa regime will be abolished, added the spokesperson.

Canadian Immigration Minister John McCallum has said visa requirements for Bulgarian and Canadian nationals will be dropped as of next December.

The Canadian government intends to enforce the step as of December 01, 2017, according to a government statement.

BRUSSELS - Maja Kocijancic, spokeswoman for EU foreign policy and security chief Federica Mogherini, said in Brussels Thursday she was not familiar with a document in which Pristina had set new conditions for Belgrade, noting the EU was a facilitator in a dialogue that was currently focused on implementing agreements.

IllustrationPhoto: REUTERS/Francois Lenoir

BRUSSELS - Maja Kocijancic, spokeswoman for EU foreign policy and security chief Federica Mogherini, said in Brussels Thursday she was not familiar with a document in which Pristina had set new conditions for Belgrade, noting the EU was a facilitator in a dialogue that was currently focused on implementing agreements.

Montenegro has extended the sanctions it introduced against Russia until March 15, 2017, the Council of the EU has announced.

A statement posted on this institution's website said that five countries have joined EU's measures.

Bulgarians will be able to travel to Canada visa-free as of December 1, 2017.

The agreement was reached during emergency negotiations at a meeting of the European Council, which continued until early in the morning in Brussels on Friday.