Moldova and EU finish talks on amendments to visa agreement

The Republic of Moldova and the European Union completed the negotiations on the amendments to the Moldova-EU visa facilitation agreement. The last round of talks was held in Brussels on March 22, Info-Prim Neo reports. According to a communiqué from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, the amendments expand the concessions on the obtaining of visas by Moldovans, especially the visa application procedures, and extend the groups of people who can benefit from tax concessions. They also simplify the procedures for issuing multiple entry visas, for one year and five years, for certain groups of people, including representatives of civil society, businessmen, students and researchers. It was decided to abolish the visa regime for holders of work passports. This decision will further facilitate the dialogue between the Moldovan authorities and the authorities of the EU member states. The Moldovan delegation was headed by secretary general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Mihai Capatina, while the EU delegation by director of the Visa Policy Unit of the Directorate General for Internal Policies of the European Commission Jan De Ceuster. In the end of the meeting, the chief negotiators initialed the amendment agreement. It will be signed when the relevant internal procedures are finalized.