Azerbaijan and EU preparing to facilitate visa regime more - EXCLUSIVE

"Liberalization of visa regime between Azerbaijan and EU depends on readmission and full implementation of contracts on facilitation of the visa regime," Deputy Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Mahmud Mammad-Guliyev told Report.

"We are still carrying out works on contracts regarding readmission and facilitation of visa regime. After this, negotiations on liberalization of visa regime will be conducted if EU sees it necessary. Therefore, it’s still unknown when the negotiations will start," the deputy minister said.

Negotiations on readmission and visa regime are regularly conducted once a year. EU representatives assessed the negotiations conducted in September 2018 as a significant event for the start of dialogue towards visa liberalization.

Earlier, Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov had said that Azerbaijan was ready to negotiate with EU on liberalization of visa regime: "I’m sure that visa-free travels will be useful for citizens of both sides. It will also lead to expansion of political, social and cultural ties between Azerbaijan and EU, more conversation among people."

The minister said that commencement of a dialogue between Azerbaijan and EU on timely liberalization of visa regime conforms with final statement of the Brussel Summit of the Eastern Partnership Program.

On November 29, 2013, Azerbaijan and EU signed a Visa Facilitation Agreement at the Vilnius Summit of the Eastern Partnership. This document does not concern Denmark and Great Britain, as well as the countries such as Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, Lichtenstein.