Azernews.Az

BAKU – Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said Friday that recent changes made to visa regulations are due to Azerbaijan’s drawing closer to European standards.

"This standardization process has been carried out in all areas – ecology, education and with regard to gasoline," Mammadyarov told reporters. "Just like in all other fields, Azerbaijan has to draw closer to European standards in this area."

The Azerbaijani government has cancelled the issuance of visas to foreign nationals at the Baku airport. Citizens of countries hosting Azerbaijani embassies can obtain visas there, while other countries’ nationals are to approach Azerbaijan’s diplomatic missions in other states. Persons arriving on an official invitation and diplomats are an exception.

The changes to visa regulations have sparked concern among some expatriates. Mammadyarov said while commenting on the recent complaints by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) delegation that the new regulations will not cause any problems for the observers to monitor the November 7 parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan. He noted that the observers are arriving at the invitation of the Central Election Commission.

"Observers may obtain visas both at Azerbaijan’s embassies and at the airport proper. Visas issued at the airport will be available only to observers, as an exception," the foreign minister said.