Events

MINSK, 2 June (BelTA) – Vietnam facilitates its visa regime for Belarusian nationals, Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs told BelTA citing the decision of the Vietnamese government.

“Starting from 1 July 2015 citizens of the Republic of Belarus that visit Vietnam for a period of up to 15 days will not have to apply for a visa regardless of the passport type and the purpose of the visit. A visa-free regime for Belarusians making short trips to Vietnam will be valid for five years through 30 June 2020. Vietnam’s legislation envisages the possibility of further prolongation of the document,” the press service said.

The parties had discussed the possible facilitation of the visa regime for the past few years alongside with the talks on the Free Trade Agreement. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in December 2014 Belarus simplified visa regulations for the citizens of Vietnam with a view to boosting trade and economic relations within the developing free trade zone. The return step issue was raised at the meeting between Belarus’ Premier Andrei Kobyakov and Prime Minister of Vietnam Nguyen Tan Dung during the signing of the Free Trade Agreement between the member states of the Eurasian Economic Union and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in Kazakhstan in May 2015.

Belarus hailed Vietnam’s operational adoption of the corresponding decision thanks to which starting from 1 July 2015 Belarusians will be able to make visa-free short trips to Vietnam. The decisions adopted by Belarus and Vietnam in simplifying mutual trips meet the interests of the two countries and will promote intensification of business contacts and partnership ties, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stressed.

According to the ministry: “The fact that Belarus is one of few countries for which citizens Vietnam unilaterally decided on visa free short trips and the first country to get this privilege under Vietnam’s new legislation testifies to robust friendship between Belarus and Vietnam.”

Visa-free entry to Vietnam for the period of up to 15 days was unilaterally introduced by the government of Vietnam for citizens of Korea, Japan (2004), Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland (2005), and the Russian Federation (2009).