EU to prepare roadmap to abolish visa requirements for TurksSeptember 29, 2011 - 10:11 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - An official from European Union Commission has said the EU will prepare a roadmap to completely abolish visa requirements for Turkish nationals, Today’s Zaman reported. EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Cecilia Malsmtröm said in a meeting in Strasbourg on Wednesday that before lifting visa requirements for Turkish citizens, the EU will enforce a new program on visa facilitation. Malmström said the EU has recently laid down a new perspective in lifting visa requirements and that it will no longer consider the readmission agreement as an indispensible condition for a possible visa deal. “We are at the beginning of a journey. It will take time. But we will start facilitating visa requirements at this time,” Malsmtröm said during the meeting, where Turkey’s EU minister also participated. Malmström said a new program in facilitating visa requirements for Turkish nationals will kick off in autumn. According to the new initiative, the EU will issue long-term visas, they will be multi-entry, time of acquiring visas will reduce, required documents for visas will be minimum and long-term or permanent visas will be issued for people in certain category. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Czech-Armenian military cooperation discussed in Yerevan A delegation led by the Director General for the Industrial Cooperation Division of the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic visited Armenia. U.S. welcomes efforts to define Armenia-Azerbaijan border The United States welcomes efforts to define the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, says Vedant Patel. Biden honors resilience of Armenian people on April 24 U.S. President Joe Biden has issued a statement on the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Ex-Karabakh leader moved to solitary confinement cell in Baku, his son says David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. |