The Representatives of Belarus and Europe attended a round table discussion at “Komsomolka” and spok

• When a Minister of accommodation and household services visited us, they’ve cleaned the road from the snow, when a Minister of internal affairs came, they’ve put new asphalt on the street, – journalists laughed. – And when ambassadors and MFA came, the electricity went off!

Fortunately, the diplomats didn’t seem to care about the darkness. We’ve discussed visas… in candlelight. As the participants said – it’s good, nobody’s able to read from the papers. We hope, that our talk in the darkness will shed some light on the matter.

“Europe is big, but there’s no place to go…”

– How popular are the “new Shengen countries” with Belarusians?

Raphael Musaev, CEO of “Smok travel” tourism company:

– Lithuania and Poland are very popular. People go to Poland t shop or for business matters, to Lithuania – for tourism, to visit aquaparks… Those who go to Latvia are usually busynessmen or relatives of people living there.

– How much does the tour cost on average?

R.M.: – To Lithuania – approximately 140 euro (two nights for two people in a good hotel, breakfast included). Bus tours to Czech Republic or mountain resorts in Poland – from 300 dollars…

– So the price for a couple’s weekend tour to Lithuania will become twice as big as it’s now after the visas become more expensive?

R.M.: – Yes. At first, there will be less tourists, visiting the country. But we hope that the embassy will issue multi-use visas… That will be a salvation for tourists.

– If it’s expensive to visit neighbours, where will Belarusians go?

R.M.: – We wanted to offer Kaliningrad, the return plane ticket costs 200 dollars, but the hotels are expensive, about 100 dollars a night. Turkey is the only remaining “cheap” country…

– Is it hard for a tourist to receive a Shengen visa?

R.M.: – If everything is O.K. with documents, there’s an invitation and a reserved room in a hotel, there are no problems.

– Visas to France and Germany cost 60 euro since the beginning of the year. But there is the same number of people, willing to go there. Will the situation be the same for Latvia and Lithuania?

Majra Mora, Ambassador of The Republic of Latvia:

– Our goal is to increase the number of Belarusians, coming to Latvia. I attended a conference in Riga, where Belarusian vice-minister on foreign affairs Mr. Evdochenko gave speech. He said that the financial state of Belarusians is improving, and they won’t feel the difference in prices. The tour cost is not just the visa cost. It includes accommodation, travel… I think, 60 euro is not a “forbidding” price.

Jeausette Mira, consul of the Republic of France:

– 60 euro is a normal and adequate price, because biometrical visa preparation requires certain expenses. And the countries, which adopt such visas, will undoubtedly meet such expenses.

 – Will other countries adopt biometrical visas?

Thorsten Schoell, the visa section head of the  embassy of the Federative Republic of Germany:

– Yes, there will be such practice in Germany and soon in every country of Shengen zone.

“National visas are an exception”

–There was a rumor that after the new countries join Shengen, it will be still possible to receive a cheap national visa. The Shengen visa costs 60 euro, and national Lithuanian one – 5 euro…

M.M.: – National visa is given only as an exception: in case of serious illness or death of a relative… The percentage of these visas won’t be big.

Edminas Bagdonas, ambassador of the Republic of Lithuania:

– Those visas are given neither to tourists, nor to businessmen!

– The embassy of Germany is currently issuing both national and shengen visas. Who receives them?

T.S.: Visas for over 90 days’ stay in the country are national. It is given in case of marriage, study, work, family visit for over 90 days… National German visa costs 30 euro.

J.M.: – France has the same approach to national visas. The price is 99 euro.

Interviews and recommendations from workplace will be needed.

– So we will bring as many documents to the embassies of Latvia, Lithuania, Poland as to the embassies of Germany and France? As the German consul said, if the citizen didn’t persuade them that he wants to return, it is a basis for not giving him a visa. So now they’ll ask about our financial status, marital status, friends… I’ve heard that one visitor to the Shengen country’s embassy was asked: “Is your hair naturally curly, or did you undergo a cosmetic procedure for that?” Will there be similar attention in your embassies too?!

E.B.: – Yes, there will be? Or maybe you think that we like asking such questions? It means there’s reason for such questions! They weren’t just made up. Though, maybe it was a male consul there…

(Laughter).

– Will my wages be discussed too? When invitation says that my jobless sister will be financing my travel, it’s nonsense!

– M.M.: If the inviting person is going to sponsor you, you don’t have to prove that you have the necessary money. If he didn’t mention it, you need to prove that you have the needed money.

T.S.: – One of the conditions of receiving Shengen visa is a proof of your financial abilities to stay in the country. The form of proving it may vary.

– How will those people, who live close to the border, visit Lithuania, Latvia, Poland?

E.B.: We are going to make agreement on simplified transit for the people, living in a 50km border zone. They’ll have ID cards to cross borders.

M.M.: – We will sign an agreement on travelling of people, living near the border. And we plan on cancelling the long-term visa fee for them.

Andrej Giro, head of the comsular department of MFA of Belarus:

– We are currently discussing the matter with our neighbouring countries. The talks with Latvia have come the farthest. We are preparing an agreement with our Lithuanian partners on travelling of citizens, though border regions haven’t been dwelt upon, yet. The most complex situation is with Poland…

Visa for Belarus costs 60 euro, and for Russia – 35

– Shengen is given to citizens of different countries. Are the rules the same for everybody? We received spam from Russia, saying “receive a multi-use Shengen for 60 euro”… It comes out, that there are countries, where it’s easier to obtain a visa?

Janis Ajzsalnieks, Eurocommission Representative office in Belarus: 

– Why does visa for Ukraine, Russia and Moldova cost 35 euro and for Belarus it is 60? It directly relates to the EU Good Neighbourhood Policy. It is an “elephant” present in your room, but not introduced… In a brochure “What could the EU give to Belarus” there is an answer to this question. Belarus needs to demonstrate its wish and political will to satisfy the 12 conditions of the EU (moratorium on death penalty, respect for the right of freedom of speech, democratic election system etc. – editor). After that, the pact between the EU and Belarus could be made, talks could start on different matters, including visas.

A.G.: And when did the “European good neighbourhood policy” term appear? Perhaps, in 2006? But we offered Brussels to start discussing simplification of visa regime as early as in 2004! And I, as a citizen, want to ask you: what is European Good Neighbourhood Policy?

J.A.: – Here you go! (gives him a brochure “What could the EU give to Belarus”, the gesture is unexpected, everybody’s laughing.)

A.G.: – Is Belarus a European country? Yes. Is Belarus your neighbour? Yes. Is there a policy towards Belarus? Yes. The word, which is lacking, is “good”. Are we bad neighbours for you?

J.A.: – Belarus isn’t a full-fledged member of the Good Neighbourhood Policy.

M.M.: – And can’t benefit from all the advantages, the policy gives. You want preferences, lowered visa costs. And why should the EU give them? The European Union position is clear and is expressed in that book.

A.G.: – Why is a question of travels of citizens is now a part of the political sphere?

J.A.: – You see, visa costs are like a cherry in a pie. To get to it, one needs to eat the pie first!

How we found light at the end of the tunnel

E.B.:– It feels as if we are doing something wrong! I’m proud that Lithuania joins Shengen. Starting from the 21^st of December our citizens will be able to go anywhere even without a passport, let alone standing in line for visas. We did a lot of work to make it happen!

– … But we are neighbours. Many Belarusians often visit Lithuania: to shop, to meet friends… It’s hard to pay 60 euro every month. What should they do?

 E.B.:– I don’t want to be the reason for your inability to take a walk around Vilnius, but it will be so! It will have to be so. We are part of the EU, and I’m proud of it. We are part of Shengen, and I’m proud of that even more. Both of our Ministries on Foreign Affairs knew that we had to come to an agreement. But if no agreement is signed with Belarus, so be it! You have built this wall… The Good Neighbourhood Policy is needed… Don’t know, if there’s light at the end of that tunnel…

Suddenly the lights come back on. Everybody is so surprised, they can’t say a word. Mr. Bagdonas is the first to speak:

– You see, it means I’m telling the truth!

– By the way, will the Belarusian side change the visa cost?

 A.G.: – We are working on an agreement…

– But there is only a month left! How much will Belarusian visa cost for my Lithuanian friends?

A.G.:– We will take adequate measures, correlating to the levels of our two-way relations and our perspectives of development of cooperation with neighbours.

You can get Shengen visa only at the embassy of the country of your destination

– Will there be less visitors to the embassies of Germany, France? It will be possible to receive a visa in another embassy…

T.S.: – The applicants can’t decide, to which embassy they’ll take their papers. The supporting documents must support the goal of your travel. You can’t apply for a visa at the embassy of Lithuania, if you’re going to France or Austria.

– If I get a visa at the Lithuanian embassy, will I be able to spend a week in Lithuania, two in Latvia and a week in Germany? Or I should spend most of the time in Lithuania?

 E.B.:– If you received shengen visa from Lithuanian embassy, you should enter the Shengen zone from Lithuania, not fly directly from Minsk to Frankfurt. You must first enter the country, the embassy of which gave you the visa. If it is a multi-use one, then visit Lithuania first. And then you are free to go wherever you wish. If you spend more time in Lithuania, it’s good, you’ll spend more money in our country!

And still, the discussion ended on an optimistic note:

M.M.:– When we joined the EU, they also worried in Belarus. What is going to happen? What about the economic relations? But when the neighbours of Belarus joined the EU, the trade only increased! I think, when we join Shengen, the situation will be similar. I’m sure, there’s nothing to worry about.

Uliana BOBOED

Olga SHESTAKOVA

http://kp.by/2007/11/29 /doc205098/

29^th of November, 2007