Doha: Qatar welcomed the announcement by the European Commission that its name is proposed to include in the list of countries whose nationals will be exempted from the Schengen visa, and the start of a series of official final negotiations between it and the European Union aimed at exempting its citizens from the visa.
Under the proposal, once agreed, Qatar nationals holding biometric passports would no longer need a visa when travelling to the EU for short stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period for business, tourism or family purposes.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement today that facilitating procedures for citizens abroad is a top priority. The statement highlighted the ministry's efforts in facilitating Qataris travel all over the world. The statement also cited the announcement as evidence of improving bilateral ties in all fields.
The ministry pointed out that for the decision to come into force will require time to complete some necessary procedures.
