The internal procedures of the Republic of Moldova and the European Union regarding the ratification of the visa facilitation regime and readmission agreements have been completely fulfilled by both sides.
Thus, according to the provisions on the entry into force of these agreements, starting with 1st of January 2008, the citizens of the Republic of Moldova will have the facilitated capacity to travel on the territory of the European Union. Moreover, separate categories of the persons will beneficiate from special facilities, such as the urgent procedure of visa obtaining, free or reduced costs, as well the reducing of the number of necessary documents for visa procedures.
Particularly, the Agreement on the visa facilitation regime stipulates the following categories of persons for the urgent and facilitated regime: pupils, students, post-graduate students and accompanying teachers who undertake trips for the purposes of study or educational training, including in the framework of exchange programmes as well as other school related activities; disabled persons and the person accompanying them, if necessary; persons who have presented documents proving the necessity of their travel on humanitarian grounds, including to receive urgent medical treatment and the person accompanying such person, persons participating in scientific, cultural and artistic activities including university and other exchange programmes; journalists; children under the age of 18 and dependent children under the age of 21; pensioners; drivers conducting international cargo and representatives of professions (private doctors, jurists, architects and other persons, who practice professional services on the basis on the license).
The entry into force of the Agreement on the visa facilitation regime between the Republic of Moldova and the European Community will lead to the better understanding of the European traditional values, as well as the values of the Republic of Moldova, to the possibility to enhance people-to-people contacts in different fields, being one of the cooperation aspects which has been waited by the citizens of the RM for a long time.
The implementation of the Agreement on visa facilitation regime will be monitored by the joint Committee, which will be gathered at least 2 times in a year in order to solve some eventual technical aspects of the practical realisation of the provisions of the agreement.
Also, the successful implementation of both Agreements on visa facilitation regime and readmission will offer the possibility to initiate the discussions on liberalisation of the visa regime between the Republic of Moldova and European Union, a provision which is particularly stipulated in the preamble of the Agreement on visa facilitation regime.
