Latvia Backs Calls for Lower Schengen Visa Fee for Belarusians, Ambassador Says

The Latvian government backs calls for cutting the Schengen visa fee for Belarusian citizens from €60 to €35, Latvian Ambassador Maira Mora told reporters in Minsk on Thursday.

The diplomat noted that Latvian visas had been free for Belarusians until the Baltic country’s accession to the Schengen zone in late 2007.

Belarusians are now charged €60 for a single-entry Latvian visa. “The €60 national visa fee has not led to a decline in the number of applications to the embassy, that’s why it is not the price that matters. It is a matter of prestige,” the ambassador said.

She noted that citizens of other Eastern European countries were charged €35 for a Latvian visa because of the countries' involvement in the European Neighborhood Policy.

Ms. Mora stressed that Riga supported “the lifting of various sanctions on Belarus, including those regarding top-level meetings.” //BelaPAN