Foreign relations of the European Union

LUXEMBOURG - The EU has encouraged Serbia to intensify implementation of reforms in key areas such as the judiciary, the fight against corruption and organised crime, and freedom of expression and the media, and also expects Belgrade to further normalise its ties with Pristina and align its foreign policy with the EU.

LUXEMBOURG - The EU has encouraged Serbia to intensify implementation of reforms in key areas such as the judiciary, the fight against corruption and organised crime, and freedom of expression and the media, and also expects Belgrade to further normalise its ties with Pristina and align its foreign policy with the EU.

"I have acknowledged it," was Aleksandar Vucic's response when asked about the objections made in EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini's report.

The report in question concerns the priorities of EU's common foreign and security policy for 2016.

Over 100,000 mainly young, educated Macedonians have acquired EU passports in the past ten years, searching for employment and a better life abroad, European statistical data show.

The preferred way for Macedonians to obtain the right to work in the EU is by getting a passport from neighbouring Bulgaria.

The European Commission has not confirmed that there is a stage-by-stage schedule for the abolition of Canadian visas for Bulgarians and Romanians as of May 1, 2017.

The member-states of the EU reached an agreement in principle on Wednesday to give Georgians the opportunity for visa-free travel but postponed the implementation of the programme until stronger guarantees against a sudden migrant influx are negotiated, reported Reuters.

Bulgaria compares to most other EU member states which have not accepted a big enough share of the 160 000 migrants from Italy and Greece, EU data released on Wednesday shows.

Bulgaria has so far taken in only six people, all from Greece, the same figure that was reported by the State Agency for Refugees early in August.

EU Commission Vice President Kristalina Georgieva has said the union will provide assistance to the countries that were most affected by the inflow of migrants.

Bulgaria will draft a roadmap for the criteria it needs to fulfill to get visa liberalization for travels to Canada, the leaders of the two countries have agreed.

Meeding Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev has said the text will be put forward for consideration "as soon as possible", the Bulgarian Presidency quotes Plevneliev as saying.

BRUSSELS - Meeting with Kosovo FM Enver Hodzaj at the European Commission (EC) headquarters in Brussels on Monday, European Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn noted the significance of progress in the process of the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina.