New criticism from Brussels due to Montenegrin visa policy

The European Commission once again warned Montenegro due to non-compliance with the EU visa policy. Such a warning this time came to unon-paper about the rule of law in Montenegro.
as published by the Public Service portal rtcg.me, in the document of the European Commission, which covers events from June 2022 to March 2023, it is stated that during that period there were a number of delays that have not been fully resolved.
The Montenegrin visa policy is not fully harmonized with the EU visa policy - the document of the European Commission states.
During the summer season, Montenegro once again exempted the citizens of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from the need to obtain a visa, despite last year's message from the European Commission that such a policy is not in accordance with European standards.
The European Commission emphasized in the last report on Montenegro, in the fall of 2022, that the visa policy of Montenegro is not yet fully aligned with the EU list of countries whose citizens need an EU visa.
On the contrary, in 2021 and at the beginning of 2022, Montenegro deviated even more from the recommended alignment. In May 2022, the government approved a temporary visa exemption for citizens of Saudi Arabia, valid from June to September, with the aim of compensating for the decline in tourists coming from Russia and Ukraine. In total, citizens of 13 countries - Armenia, Kazakhstan, Russia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, China, Cuba, Ecuador, Kuwait, Turkey, Qatar, Kosovo and Saudi Arabia - are exempt from visa requirements for short-term stays, either seasonally or permanently. The measures of seasonal exemption from visas are not in accordance with the legal acquis of the EU, and these countries are on the list of EU countries whose citizens need a visa for the EU - says the European Commission.
In addition, it is warned that foreigners who have a residence permit in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) can enter Montenegro without a visa and stay in the country for up to ten days.
The Montenegrin authorities have discovered several cases of abuse of this visa regime. Montenegro should ensure increased harmonization of its visa policy with the EU list of third countries that require a visa - the European Commission pointed out.
M.J.