Belarus Headlines

The Office for a Democratic Belarus expresses its support for the campaign initiated in the European Parliament and aimed at reducing the costs of Schengen visas for the Belarusian citizens. Belarus remains the only country of the EU Eastern neighbourhood whose citizens have to pay €60 for a single-entry Schengen visa, which amounts to almost one third of the average monthly salary in the country. Lowering costs of the visa and easing the procedure of receiving it would help tremendously to avoid the isolation of the Belarusian people and to pursue the EU's policy of supporting the democratisation process, as well as facilitate people-to-people contacts between Belarus and the EU member states. Information about the signature campaign has received a lot of attention in Belarus. Various non-governmental organizations, political parties and other associations responded to the call of the Office for a Democratic Belarus to send letters of support for the signature collection and encourage the EU to review the current regulations of issuing Schengen visas for Belarusians. For the Declaration to be sent to the EU Council and the Commission, more than half of the European parliamentarians need to sign it.