OREANDA-NEWS. The EU Council announced on Monday a decision on readiness to sign an agreement on visa facilitation with Belarus. The text of this decision of the Council of the European Union was published on Monday in the Official Journal of the EU.

This decision was made on October 14, but officially published and, accordingly, entered into force only on November 18. The visa facilitation agreement provides for a reduction in the cost of short-term Schengen visas (up to 180 days for a period of 360 days) from € 80 to € 35, and also reduces the list of documents required for obtaining short-term visas.

“The signing on behalf of the EU of the Agreement on the facilitation of issuing visas between the European Union and Belarus from that moment is allowed as soon as the procedure for concluding it is completed. The text of the agreement will be published along with the official decision on its conclusion”, the document says. “The EU will also approve a joint the declaration accompanying this agreement. The President of the Council of Europe may now appoint a representative to sign this agreement".