Azernews.Az

A European Union mission will visit Azerbaijan to officially launch the negotiations of visa facilitation and readmission agreements on March 1-2, according to the EU office in the country.

The EU mission will be co-chaired by Rob Rozenburg, Deputy Head of International Affairs Unit and Diederik Paalman, Deputy Head of Visa Policy Unit.

"With the launch of the Eastern Partnership initiative in 2009 we aimed at strengthening ties between the EU and its Eastern neighbors," said Jerome Pons, Charge d'Affaires of EU Delegation to Azerbaijan. "Now we see the fruits of that initiative as we start visa facilitation negotiations with Azerbaijan. Visa facilitation is about more contacts between people in the EU and Azerbaijan, more exchanges and more business opportunities. It is simply more mobility for people and that is something the EU and Azerbaijani citizens are looking forward to."

The negotiation process on visa facilitations makes it easier to travel from one country to another. It considers among other issues the simplification of documentation to be submitted in support of the visa application, the possibility of issuing multiple-entry visas for a longer term, reduced handling fees for specific categories of travelers, etc. The negotiation of readmission agreements, which is conducted in the same movement, ultimately provides mechanisms for the return of nationals staying without authorization on the territories of the EU or Azerbaijan.