The European Parliament on February 27 voted in favor of abolishing the visa requirements for Moldovan citizens. It is the first country in the eastern neighborhood of the EU that enjoys such a measure, IPN reports.

In their speeches, the MEPs pleaded for the liberalization of the visa regime for the Moldovans, saying Moldova is a very good example owing to the progress it made and the reforms it implemented.

After the vote in the European Parliament, the Council of the EU will also pronounce on the matter. The final decision will be published in the Official Journal of the European Union and will take effect 20 days after it is published. It is projected that the Moldovans holding biometric passports will be able to travel to the Schengen area from this June.