Citizens of Albania planning to travel to China and the United Arab Emirates will be eligible to do so without being required to apply for a visa at first.
The decision for visa-free travel for Albanian citizens planning to travel to China and UAE was confirmed by Albania’s Council of Ministers, VisaGuide.World reports.
In this regard, the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Olta Xhacka said that the map would be expanded for Albanians wishing to travel freely.
“Today we passed two important agreements. We have concluded agreements with the Republic of China and the United Arab Emirates. They will create increased facilities for Albanians who want to travel to these countries. They will no longer need entry visas,” Minister Xhacka pointed out in this regard.
According to Xhacka, the visa-free exchange will only contribute positively to Albanian citizens.
She added that the Ministry is continuously working in order to strengthen the Albanian passport as much as possible and also expand the list of countries in which citizens of Albania can move visa-free.
“I am encouraged and optimistic that we will expand the map so that Albanian citizens can move freely,” she noted.
In December last year, while announcing the decision that citizens of Albania and China would be eligible to travel to each other’s territories without visas, Xhacka emphasized that the Western Balkan countries continue to keep close contact with East Asian countries, mainly for economic purposes.
The Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs mentioned a report provided by the European Parliament in June, on Western Balkans and China, which among others, noted that Chinese are attracted to Western Balkan countries in these territories mainly due to the lack of conditionality for investments from China.
However, the report stated that this, however, affects European Union conditionality in a negative way by reducing the effectiveness of the proposed reforms as well as standards, especially in terms of social rights, environmental protection and sustainability.
“Other aspects of Beijing’s activities in the region could also hinder Balkan countries’ prospects of joining the bloc,” the report noted.
Another agreement between authorities in Albania and China was reached in August last year, in which month, both countries agreed to facilitate visa procedures, and grant visas for more than five years to citizens of both countries who hold ordinary valid passports for specific purposes, taking also into account, tourism, family visits and business.
The recent agreement regarding visa-free travel for Albanian citizens to China and the United Arab Emirates is considered an additional step to tighten cooperation between these territories.
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