National News

Belarus negotiating mutual travels with neighbouring future Schengen countries

Belarus is in talks with Lithuania, Latvia and Poland about mutual travels of citizens in view of these countries' accession to the Schengen Zone Agreement. The accession is scheduled for January 1, 2008, Head of the Consular Affairs Department of the Belarusian Foreign Ministry Andrei Giro told media on October 5. In his words, consular talks with the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry took place on September 18-19, talks with Poland — October 2-3. Andrei Giro remarked, during the negotiations the sides confirmed their readiness for dialogue and reached compromise about several issues. In particular, the sides agreed to amend the existing agreements that regulate mutual travels. The official stressed, the agreements the sides had reached are provisional. The draft agreements have to pass intrastate procedures to come into force. Belarus is interested in developing all-round cooperation with the European Union, first of all, the neighbouring states. “This is why we are committed to the maximum facilitation of visa procedures for expanding interpersonal contacts,” said Andrei Giro. Speaking about the time for the neighbouring states to accede to the Schengen Zone Agreement, Andrei Giro noted, the decision had not been made by the European Commission yet. “Anyway, we have to settle all issues concerning mutual travels of citizens before Lithuania, Latvia and Poland enter the Schengen zone,” he said. The official also said, Belarus is in talks with the neighbouring future Schengen countries only, because their changing of the visa procedures and the size of consular fees will influence the bilateral relations.