By Baron Henri Estramant.
Latvia’s Permanent Representative to the EU, HE Ms. Ilze Juhansone, and Emirati Ambassador to the EU, the Kingdom of Belgium and the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg (non-resident), HE Mr. Sulaiman bin Hamid Al Mazroui, signed a reciprocal bilateral short-stay visa-waiver agreement in Brussels. The United Arab Emirates becomes the first Arab/GCC country to receive a visa-waiver for its citizens. Emiratis holding diplomatic, special, service or even ordinary passports will be able to travel without a visa to 34 European countries (including non-EU member states such as Norway or Iceland) which make up the Schengen area for stays of up to 90 days (within any 180-day period of one year).
Latvia is currently holding the rotating Presidency of the European Council. The signing ceremony was attended by the staff of the UAE embassy in Brussels as well as by Assistant Foreign Minister for Legal Affairs, Mr. Abdul Rahim bin Yousef Al Awadhi; Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), Mr. Mohammed bin Mir Al Raissi; Director of Consular Services at MoFA, Ambassador Ahmed bin Elham Al Dhaheri as well as the Director of the Communications Department at MoFA, Ms Mariam Al Falasi.
The success for Emirati diplomacy was personally backed up by Foreign Minister HH Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Dr. Anwar bin Mohammed Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs.
For more information
Mission of the UAE in Brussels: http://uae-embassy.ae/Embassies/be
http://uae-embassy.ae/Embassies/be/news/2015/05/07/6606
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Pictures/European Union
