Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 25 July (BelTA) - Extending visa-free travel to thirty days will help Belarus to showcase more of its tourist potential, Director of the Minsk European Games Organizing Committee (MEGOC) Georgy Katulin told reporters, BelTA has learned.

“We believe that this decision will take us many more steps further towards our goal to make Belarus more visible in Europe and the world, first of all, as the host country of the 2nd European Games and an interesting tourist destination. We have wonderful nature, beautiful cities, and very talented people. I think the decision will be welcomed at the forthcoming meeting of the Coordination Commission of the European Olympic Committees in early September,” Georgy Katulin said.

Belarus has granted visa-free entry from 10 June till 10 July 2019 for foreign tourists who have accreditation cards or tickets to sporting events. The visa-free entry practice was tested during the 2014 IIHF World Championship and proved its worth. “We will see close interaction between all stakeholders. The information about the holders of tickets and people with accreditation will be forwarded to the border crossing points,” Georgy Katulin noted.

On 24 July Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko signed the decree to extend the visa-free entry period to 30 days for foreign nationals who fly in and out of the Minsk National Airport. The document has updated the list of states whose citizens are exempt from the visa requirement. It has also revised this list to exclude the countries with which Belarus has concluded bilateral visa abolition agreements. Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko signed decree No. 292 “On steps in preparation for the 2nd European Games MINSK 2019”. The document grants visa-free entry to Belarus from 20 May till 10 July 2019 for the participants, officials and organizers of the games, and other specialists, and from 10 June till 10 July 2019 for foreign tourists who have accreditation cards or tickets to sporting events.