Lithuanian ambassador to Belarus: Visa regime with the EU will be simplified

The diplomat emphasized that since visa service centers became available, Belarusans no longer have problems with queues at the Lithuanian Embassy. The problem of hackers has disappeared, too.

“We see visas as opportunities for new contacts and contracts for business and culture, for members of the general public of the country,” – said the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Lithuania to Belarus Evaldas Ignatavicius at the ceremony to inaugurate visa service centers of Lithuania in Belarus, BelTA informs.

The diplomat assumes that EU-Belarus visa regime will be simplified. And the four visa service centers that have been opened in Minsk, Brest, Grodno and Gomel will expand business ties between countries, will bolster cultural cooperation, and will contribute a lot to stronger regional contacts. “I think it is necessary to encourage this movement. In my opinion, we make the right steps,” stressed Evaldas Ignatavicius.

In 2014 the number of issued visas rose by 5% while the number of times Belarusian tourists went to Lithuania rose by 20%.

“Belarusians are the champions in terms of the number of trips in the Schengen zone,” noted the diplomat.

Earlier Brussels-based EUobserver with a reference to Latvian foreign minister Edgars Rinkevics informed about “new perspectives” in the issue with visa-free regime between the EU and Belarus. According to the Minister, starting talks on visa liberalisation would "also address civil liberties concerns we have".

"We will not review our stance on political prisoners. They have to be freed, three remain behind bars at this moment. We continue to pressure Belarus on their liberation and the same goes for the treatment of minorities," – EUobserver also quoted Andrejs Pildegovics, state secretary in the Latvian foreign ministry.