To Belarus without visa

              The possibility of developing tourism in Belarus is growing. Until recently, a visa free movement was allowed only in Bialowierza forest, where foreigners did not need a visa for up to three days. Now the same system applies to the Augustow Canal, close to the one of the biggest Belarusian cities – Grodno. Foreigners can spend up to five days there without visa. However, the tendency of welcoming tourists might expand. There is a possibility that in a couple of months citizens of eighty countries could come to Belarus without visa. The only condition would be that they arrive at Minsk airport. 

   

Bialowierza Forest

Visa liberation for Ukraine and Georgia

      The year 2015 ended with the good news regarding the visa free travel to the European Union for the Ukraine and Georgia. Soon the citizens of these countries will be able to travel without visa to EU countries, excluding Ireland and UK, and to four countries of Schengen associated countries – Switzerland, Iceland, Norway and Lichtenstein. The EU Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship remarked the hard work of Ukrainian and Georgian governments in fulfilling the necessary requirements for the visa liberation.

Regional imbalance: visa liberalisation for Ukraine, sanctions for Russia

      Today, on the 14^th of December, the Foreign Affairs Council discusses the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). The High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs, Frederica Morgherini, denied the possibility of a debate on the extension of the economic sanctions against Russia on this level. According to her, there is no dispute regarding this subject among the foreign ministers. This topic will be raised on the summit of the European Council this week. 

      Before today’s foreign ministers meeting, the commissioner for ENP and Enlargement Negotiations, Johannes Hahn, commented the possibility for a non-visa regime for Ukraine as a positive step. There is a high probability that very soon the citizens of Ukraine and Georgia will not need a visa in order to visit the countries of the EU.

Belarus is not ready for visa liberation with the EU

       While Ukrainian government is eager to get the visa-free regime with the EU, hoping for its launching in 2016, Belarusian Foreign Ministry is somehow surprised by the proposal of the EU officials of visa liberation. The agreement is ready for the initialling and signing. The main concerns of the Belarusian government are the policy of the readmission, and lack of the infrastructure for the citizens of the third countries. The situation is much more complicated: Belarus should make the same gesture towards EU citizens obtaining Belarusian visa. And what about millions EUR income per year? In order to obtain Schengen visa through Polish consulate, Belarusian citizen have to pay besides 60 EUR visa price, 150-200 EUR local service company, because the registration page of the consulate is blocked by nobody knows who. And in the end, for Belarusian government is more safe when its citizens are "safe" home.