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22 June 2018, 13:41

Hahn: Good will is needed to ease Belarus-EU visa requirements

MINSK, 22 June (BelTA) – Good will of the parties can give an impetus to visa relaxation talks between Belarus and the EU, Commissioner for European Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn told reporters on 22 June, BelTA has learned.

When asked about the progress in the Belarus-EU visa talks, Johannes Hahn refused to comment on this matter. “I believe if both parties demonstrate good will, we will be able to run the last kilometer fast. We could speed up this final stage of the decision-making process,” he said.

Johannes Hahn commented on the proposed tightening of the Schengen rules and higher visa fees for a number of countries. “I believe the European Union and the European Commission will not use visa fees as an additional source of revenues,” he said. The objective of the proposed amendments is to make visa processing faster.

As was reported earlier, the EU ambassadors are set to negotiate amendments to the Schengen Area visa code with the European Parliament. These amendments are meant to improve border controls and combat illegal immigration. Some of the amendments are meant to tighten visa regulations. A harmonized approach will be introduced to issuing multiple entry visas to regular travelers with a positive visa history. At the same time, the consular fee might be increased.

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