Azerbaijan and EU hold first round of negotiations on visa facilitation

On March 1 and 2, Baku hosted the first round of negotiations on visa facilitation and readmission between Azerbaijan and the European Union (EU).

The parties committed themselves to reach an agreement on visa facilitation and readmission (the state's consent to receive back into its territory the citizens who are subjected to deportation from another country, – note of the "Caucasian Knot") at the summit of the EU's initiative "Eastern Partnership" in May 2009 to encourage development of relations between people.

"This is a very important moment in the co-operation between the EU and Azerbaijan, since we began the specific negotiations on visa facilitation and readmission," stated Ambassador Roland Kobiya, the head of the EU's Office in Azerbaijan, commenting on the outcomes of the negotiations held in Baku.

According to the EU's representatives, the agreement on visa facilitation implies reduction in the cost of visas, easing of the requirements for the documents needed for visa application, simplification of the content of the visa application forms, reduction of the period for processing visa applications, broad practice of issuing multiple visas for certain categories of citizens.

The readmission agreement will include arrangements for return of citizens residing in the EU or Azerbaijan without permission.

The above two agreements are related to each other, they can be signed and come into force simultaneously. The EU has already signed such agreements with Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia.