Events

The first round of consultations took place in Minsk on 12-13 June. The Belarusian side suggested that the European Commission introduced into the text the draft agreements on a number of provisions aimed at streamlining visa processing, extending the period of validity and simplifying mutual trips between the citizens of Belarus and the EU. The Belarusian delegation hopes for an adequate response to the proposals during the consultations in Brussels.

Spokesman for the Belarusian Foreign Ministry Dmitry Mironchik stated in his recent briefing on 20 November that the Belarusian proposals are aimed, first of all, at the availability of the full list of documents that should be presented to the embassy in order to get a visa. Apart from that, the proposals have been developed to interest and encourage legislative execution. “If a person, for instance, gets a three-month visa, visits and acts in the EU within the limits of law, next time he can get a one-year visa, then a visa for two years and so on. We would like our visa procedures encourage the obeyance of rules in both the EU and Belarus,” Dmitry Mironchik said.