31/07/2007 (Agence Europe) - A Joint Visa Centre will open in autumn at the Slovenian embassy in Podgorica, the capital of Montenegro, the Slovenian Foreign Ministry announced on 23 July, according to STA. The centre will allow the citizens of Montenegro to apply for visas from 1 January 2008, when nine 2004 EU newcomers are expected to join the Schengen zone. According to the ministry, Austria and Hungary have already confirmed their participation in the project, while Poland has yet to reply to the invitation to take part. The centre is expected to shorten the procedure for issuing visas to Montenegrins entering the EU. The first Joint Visa Centre opened in April at the Hungarian embassy in the Moldovan capital of Chisinau. (bc)