EU, Serbia Sign Border Control Deal To Tackle Illegal Migration, Crime - Press Release

BRUSSELS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 20th November, 2019) The European Union and Serbia signed an agreement on border management cooperation to counter cross-border irregular migration and crime, the European Commission said in a press release on Tuesday.

"Today, the European Union signed an agreement with Serbia on border management cooperation between Serbia and the European Border and Coast Guard Agency," the press release read.

Under the new agreement, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency will assist Serbia in border management, carry out joint operations and deploy teams on the EU-Serbian border upon Belgrade's consent.

"These activities aim at tackling irregular migration and cross-border crime, and can involve the provision of increased technical and operational assistance at the border," the press release added.

The agreement is now due to be approved by the European Parliament.

The EU already has analogous agreements with Albania (signed in 2018) and Montenegro (signed in 2019) and is negotiating similar ones with North Macedonia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.