A positive solution for liberalising the European Union visa system for citizens of Kazakhstan will be found “in the near future”, the Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan, Murat Nurtleu, has said.
His comments came following talks with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security, Josep Borrell, Schengen.News reports.
Liberalisation of the EU visa system for citizens of Kazakhstan is an important area of our work. We have agreed to work together with Borrell in order to find a positive solution to the problem in the near future.
Visa Facilitation Talks Between EU & Kazakhstan Began in June
In June this year, the EU International Special Envoy for Sanctions, David O’Sullivan, announced that the European Union and Kazakhstan officially launched talks related to the simplification of Schengen visa procedures for nationals of Kazakhstan.
It is gratifying to note that we were able to launch negotiations on simplifying visa procedures, which in turn will contribute to the further strengthening of our cooperation.
The ongoing efforts to reach a visa facilitation agreement between the EU and Kazakhstan have intensified in recent months.
Reaching a deal to simplify visa application rules means that nationals of Kazakhstan would benefit from the following changes when planning to apply for Schengen visas:
- Decrease in consular fees
- An extended visa validity period
- A shortened time for processing visa applications
- Unified list of documents needed for a visa application
Unlike EU countries, Kazakhstan permits visa-free entry for EU nationals from 2017. The decision came in a bid to promote business, cooperation, and tourism among others.
Kazakhstan’s authorities said they have introduced several measures and made several improvements in various fields, in order to assure the EU that there will be no irregular migration risks to the bloc if the Schengen visa facilitation agreement gets approved.
In addition, authorities in Astana also said that Kazakhstan is ready to cooperate when it comes to the readmission of its citizens who stay without valid documentation in the European Union countries.
Joint Development of Trans-Caspian International Transport Route
During the meeting held between the Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan, Murat Nurtleu and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security, Josep Borrell, the latter reaffirmed the EU’s interest in the joint development of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route.
The Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, known as the Middle Corridor, is a trade route that passes through several countries, including China, Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey and Europe. Part of this corridor is also the commissioned Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway.
