Azernews.Az

The European Union and Azerbaijan will launch talks on easing visa regulations by the end of 2011, an EU official has said on a visit to Baku.

"The main purpose of simplifying the visa regime is to step up people-to-people contacts. This will foster closer ties between European [countries] and Azerbaijan’s citizens," Gunnar Wiegand, Director for Eastern Europe, South Caucasus and the Central Asian republics in European Commission's Directorate-General for External Relations, told reporters.

The European Commission on Monday proposed to open negotiations on agreements to facilitate the procedures for issuing short-stay visas and on the readmission of irregular migrants between the EU and Azerbaijan. Suggested visa facilitations include the simplification of documents to be submitted in support of the visa application, the waiving or reducing of the handling fees for specific categories of travelers, a possible exemption from visas for diplomats, etc.