EU-Azerbaijan talks on visa rules to kick off Feb. 7
The European Union and Azerbaijan will hold a first round of talks on agreements to facilitate visa regulations on February 7 in Baku, Deputy Foreign Minister Mahmud Mammadguliyev told APA news agency.
The EU council of ministers issued a mandate to start negotiations on visa facilitation with Azerbaijan on December 20, 2011.
The list of suggested visa facilitations include the simplification of documents to be submitted in support of the visa application, the possibility of issuing multiple-entry visas with a long period of validity, the waiving or reducing of the handling fees for specific categories of travelers, set deadlines for processing visa applications, as well as a possible exemption from visas for diplomats.
The European Commission proposes to combine the easing of visa requirements for travelers from Azerbaijan with agreed mechanisms for the readmission of irregular migrants. The negotiation of readmission agreements will provide for the speedy return of nationals staying without authorization on the territory of the EU or Azerbaijan.
The visa facilitation negotiations follow the political commitment taken at the Prague Eastern Partnership Summit in May 2009.
Once negotiated, the agreements on visa facilitation and readmission can only enter into force simultaneously.
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