Details added (first version posted on 14:04)
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec.3
By Seba Aghayeva - Trend:
Azerbaijan and Norway have signed agreements on visa facilitation and readmission on Dec.3 in Baku.
The documents were signed by Azerbaijan's Deputy Foreign Minister Khalaf Khalafov and Norway's Ambassador to Azerbaijan Bard Ivar Svendsen, Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said.
"Visa facilitation agreement between the governments of Azerbaijan and the Kingdom of Norway" and "the agreement between the governments of Azerbaijan and the Kingdom of Norway on the readmission of persons residing without authorization" envisage the facilitation of visa regime for the citizens of both countries, a visa-free regime for the diplomatic passport holders, decreasing the number of required documents, reducing the time of reviewing the applications for obtaining visa and the visa application fees.
The documents also envisage the identification of individuals who do not comply with or do not fulfill the terms of entry, stay or residence in the territory of Azerbaijan and Norway, as well as their speedy, safe and effective expulsion.
The signing of the documents will allow to further strengthen the relations in the economic, humanitarian, cultural, science and other spheres between Azerbaijan and Norway.
The terms of the facilitated visa regime with Norway, which is a part of the Schengen area, will be similar to the terms of the agreement with EU.
The agreements with EU countries entered into force on Sept.1, 2014.
The European Union and Azerbaijan signed the visa facilitation agreement during the Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius on Nov.29, 2013. The EU and Azerbaijan signed the agreement on the readmission of persons residing without authorization on Feb.28, 2014.
The agreement doesn't cover such EU countries as Denmark, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, as well as Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein which have joined the Schengen visa.
So far, the EU has signed visa facilitation and readmission agreements with 12 countries: Azerbaijan, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republic of Macedonia, the Republic of Moldova, Montenegro, Russia, Serbia, Ukraine, Georgia, Cape Verde and Armenia, with 11 of them having entered into force (Cape Verde still pending).
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Seba Aghayeva is deputy head of Trend Agency's Azerbaijani news service
Follow her on Twitter: @Asebaa