Baltic News Service
December 3, 2007 Monday 11:57 PM EET
ESTONIA HOPING FOR VISA WAIVER FROM ARMENIA
TALLINN Dec 03
Estonia is hoping for a visa waiver for its citizens from Armenia,
and on its part is prepared to waive the visa requirement to owners
of the Armenian diplomatic passports.
Speaking at a joint press conference with Armenian Foreign Minister
Vartan Oskanian in Tallinn on Monday, Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas
Paet said the abolition of visas would help enliven relations between
Estonia and Armenia.
Paet said Estonia was ready to abolish the visa requirement to owners
of Armenian diplomatic passports and that it would depend on Armenian
moves. He pointed out that as member of the European Union Estonia
had no authority to abolish visas for all Armenian citizens, but
underlined that Estonia was in favor of opening visa facilitation
talks between the EU and Armenia.
Vartan Oskanian said the Armenian government was planning visa waiver
talks with many countries and expressed the hope that the decision on
granting abolition of visas to Estonian citizens would come soon.
The Armenian foreign minister said that the foreign policy of the
country was very liberal and the visas could be ordered
electronically via the Armenian Foreign Ministry web site. He added
that it was possible to acquire the visa with 30 dollars also from
the Armenian border and the procedure would only take a few minutes.
Paet and Oskanian Monday signed an agreement for the years 2008 and
2006 by which Estonia supports Armenia’s rapprochement to the
European Union and NATO. Paet said Estonia was ready to support
Armenia by its experience of movement on the European Union course.
Oskanian said Armenia was very much interested in the experience.
Paet said that Estonia was interested in signing agreements on the
protection of investments and the readmission of people with Armenia.
Paet expressed the hope that Armenia and Azerbaijan would manage to
solve the more than ten-year Nagorono-Karabakh conflict by peaceful
means. He said this would give a positive impetus to the development
of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations and would have a good effect on the
whole region.
Vartan Oskanian said there was a potential for the development of
relations as there have been good historical relations between the
two countries. Besides, there is political will for the enlivening of
relations. The Armenian foreign minister can see a lot of potential
in the development of the two countries’ relations in the tourism
sphere.
Oskanian extended to Paet an invitation to visit Armenia.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress