MINSK, 2 October (BelTA) – The House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus ratified an inter-governmental agreement with Thailand to abolish visas for holders of diplomatic and service passports on 2 October, BelTA has learned.
The agreement was signed in Bangkok on 12 March 2015. The document is aimed at creating a legal basis for regulating the issues related to the easing of the visa regime for citizens of Belarus and Thailand, holders of diplomatic and service passports.
Presenting the document, Belarus' Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Alena Kupchyna noted that the bilateral relations between Belarus and Thailand are vibrant. The two parties have been intensively developing inter-parliamentary ties. The official also pointed to the improved trade between the two states. “Over the past five years our mutual trade has increased 3.3 times and reached almost $160 million in 2014. These are not bad figures. The Belarusian export was nearly $75 million,” said Alena Kupchyna.
In her words, Thailand is one of Belarus' key foreign trading partners in Southeast Asia alongside with Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia. “Belarus and Thailand have been actively developing their legal framework. Currently work is in progress on the investment promotion and protection agreement, and the agreements on cooperation in the field of trade and economy, on military-technical cooperation on legal assistance in criminal and civil cases, on scientific and technical cooperation, on cooperation between the Justice Ministries,” Alena Kupchyna informed.
Alena Kupchyna also reported that Belarus has similar agreements with 31 countries from different regions: Europe, Asia, and Latin America.
In line with the document, the two countries' citizens - holders of diplomatic and service passports - are entitled to enter, travel, transit and stay without visas on the territory of the other state for 90 days from the date of entry. For the holders of diplomatic and service passports who have been assigned to diplomatic missions and consular posts accredited in the territory of the other party, as well as members of their families who have such passports, this period may be extended until the end of such appointment.
Holders of diplomatic and service passports may enter, transit and depart from the territory of the other party in any border crossing point open to international passenger traffic.
The agreement also provides that the competent authorities of Belarus and Thailand have the right to refuse entry or shorten the stay of citizens of the other state, and to suspend completely or partially the effect of the document in the interests of the national security or public order.
