Decision on easier Schengen visa formalities for Belarusians depends on EU’s position, official says
29.05.2008 | Publications
A decision on easing Schengen visa formalities and lowering
visa fees for Belarusian citizens depends on the European Union’s
position, Andrey Hira, chief of the Consular Department at the
Belarusian foreign ministry, said at an online questions-and-answers
session organized by the BelTA state news agency on May 29.
“One must note in the first place that there is no
difference between the ‘old’ and ‘new’ members of the Schengen
agreement and one must hold talks on easier visa formalities and a
reduction in visa fees with the European Union in general,” he said. “A situation where a Schengen visa may cost differently in the embassies of different countries is impossible,” the official stressed.
Minsk invited the European Commission and all countries that have signed the Schengen agreement to hold negotiations on the matter last May. “In its reply, the European Commission tied the beginning of the talks on easier visa formalities to the fulfillment of a number of political conditions,” he noted.
In a unilateral move, the Belarusian government has cut the cost of single-entry visas for Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian and Polish nationals to ?25 and scrapped the invitation requirement for most EU citizens applying for a Belarusian visa, according to Mr. Hira.
The official noted that the Lithuanian and Polish governments backed lower visa fees for Belarusian citizens. “As far as we know, the issue is being discussed in appropriate commissions and working groups of the European Commission, the European Parliament. Thus, there is some hope that the problem will be solved,” Mr. Hira said.
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