On May 7 2008, European Commission (EC) vice-president Jacques Barrot officially presented a roadmap on visa liberalisation with Serbia during his trip to Belgrade, the EC's press service said in a media statement.

The roadmap outlines the steps that Serbian authorities need to take so as to achieve visa-free travel for Serbian citizens.

"The time of isolation for Serbia is over. With the recently signed Stabilisation and Association Agreement this roadmap constitutes the opening of the doors of the EU to all citizens of Serbia and their welcoming in the great family of a united Europe," Barrot said during the presentation.

Barrot's visit comes only a day after 17 European said they would start issuing free visas to Serbian citizens in a move to give a boost to Serbia's pro-Western parties. General and local polls in Serbia are scheduled to take place on May 11.

European Union members France, Slovenia, Germany, Austria, Cyprus, Denmark, Spain, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Slovakia, Sweden and the Czech Republic were joined by Norway in announcing their free visas proposition on May 6. The annoucement comes on the heels of the April 29 Serbia signing of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) between Belgrade and Brussels, the first step towards full EU membership.

As the election campaign in Serbia enters its last phase, these moves by the EU have been widely interpreted as the bloc's way of showing support for the pro-Western oriented coalition led by the Democratic party of president Boris Tadic.

The coalition's main opponents, nationalist Serbian Radical Party, headed by Tomislav Nikolic, and outgoing prime minister Vojislav Kostunica's Democratic Party of Serbia have vowed to cut all ties with the EU as long as most of its members recognise the secession of Kosovo. The two parties rely on developing closer co-operation with Russia.

According to recent polls in Serbia, the radicals have the highest support, closely followed by Tadic's coalition. Kostunica's party is third. However, no party or coalition is expected to gather enough votes to be able to form a cabinet on their own.