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Lukashenka Preparing Weird Decree On Visa-Free Entry To Belarus

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Lukashenka Preparing Weird Decree On Visa-Free Entry To Belarus
PHOTO: BYMEDIA

Tourists who have Shengen visas or come from “trustable” countries may be allowed to come to Belarus with no visa for 5 to 7 days.

Director of the Republican Association of Tourist Organizations Valiantsin Tsekhmeister has told Euroradio that the Belarusian authorities realized the necessity to simplify visa procedures for foreigners. At least, for some of them. According to Tsekhmeister’s information, Lukashenka’s administration has already prepared the document allowing foreigners to come to our country with no visa for a week.

“Upon the officials’ initiative, Lukashenka’s decree which would allow tourists to stay 5 to 7 days in Belarus with no visa is being prepared. It is assumed that such opportunity will be granted to the tourists with Shengen visas,” - Tsekhmeister has informed.

Thus, the Belarusian authorities are trying to attract the tourists who go to the European Union or return from it via transit through Minsk. The journalists have found out that the final variant of the document has not been approved yet. It also remains unknown when the new decree will be inked. If they leave only holders of Shengen visas in it, it will become practically pointless as the citizens of EU member states do not need Shengen visas.

Probably, the final draft bill will prescribe an opportunity of short-time visa-free entrance for the citizens of the EU or the mysterious “trustable countries”.

Meanwhile, foreigners can visit Belarus with no visa for more than a year. However, only for three days and only at the territory of the Belarusian part of Belavezhskaya Pushcha. However, the experience of “visa-free Pushcha” fell short of the expectations. The reason for that is lack of infrastructure in comparison with the Polish part of the ancient woods:

“Even the well-advertised Belavezhskaya Pushcha fell short of the hopes. The flow hasn’t grown much. There are 300-400 homesteads of different level in the Polish part of the woods around Belavezha. There is also a great number of routes.We only have the restricted zone in Belavezhskaya Pushcha. No homesteads, no nothing – only the state organizations,” – former editor-in-chief of the newspaper Tourism and Recreation Siarhei Plytkevich thinks.

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