Uzbekistan holds talks with the European Union on simplifying visa procedures

Uzbekistan has held negotiations with the EU on simplifying visa procedures, with the European side outlining a number of conditions that must be met for the issue to be placed on the agenda of a European Commission meeting.

The first round of expert-level talks between Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the European Union’s Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs has taken place, Dunyo reported.

According to the MFA’s Consular and Legal Department, the discussions focused on possible simplifications of visa procedures for Uzbek citizens traveling for employment, study, international freight transport drivers, and tourist groups.

In particular, the European side identified a set of requirements that Uzbekistan must fulfill for the proposal on easing visa procedures for its citizens to be submitted for consideration by the European Commission. The report did not specify what these conditions entail.

The parties noted that they had agreed to continue such dialogue in order to achieve the stated objectives as soon as possible.