Kazakhstan’s Interior Minister Yerzhan Sadenov met with the European Commission’s Deputy Director General for Migration and Home Affairs, Johannes Luchner, to discuss the harmonisation and simplification of visa requirements for Kazakh citizens during his working visit to Brussels on 4 October, according to Kazinform.
According to the Kazakh Embassy in Belgium, Sadenov met with the leadership and experts of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs, which is responsible for regulating the visa policy of the Schengen countries.
Minister Sadenov provided detailed information on the socio-political reforms taking place in Kazakhstan and the improvement of all aspects of migration policy based on the standards of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
He also reported on the positive migration statistics of Kazakh citizens travelling to European Union (EU) countries, emphasising the absence of migration risks and the excellent compliance with the laws and regulations of EU countries.
The European Commission’s Deputy Director General for Migration and Home Affairs, Mr Luchner, stressed that “Kazakhstan is a reliable partner of the EU in the Central Asian region and our cooperation has significant potential for further constructive development”.
He confirmed the EU’s readiness to start work on simplifying the process of obtaining Schengen visas for Kazakh citizens. Specific areas of visa facilitation for Kazakh citizens were also identified and could be agreed in subsequent consultations. The Parties agreed to conduct a joint analysis of the current visa issuance process and to identify steps to start a dialogue in this area.
Particular attention was paid to strengthening Kazakhstan-EU cooperation in the field of law and order, including the fight against illegal migration, improving border control and applying the experience of European internal affairs agencies.
During his visit to Brussels, Sadenov held talks with the head of the Ministry of Interior of the Kingdom of Belgium, Annelies Verlinden. During the meeting, Verlinden emphasised Belgium’s interest in strengthening the partnership with Kazakhstan and expressed support for simplifying the visa regime for Kazakh citizens.
He praised Kazakhstan’s efforts to improve its border control system and strengthen cooperation with neighbouring countries. The parties agreed to continue the dialogue and to identify areas for future cooperation and exchange of experience.
