The European Union (EU) will approve exempting its citizens from the Schengen visa within two weeks, according to the Oman News Agency.
During the press conference held at the Foreign Ministry, Enrique Mora, Deputy Secretary-General and Political Director of the European External Action Service (EEAS) of the EU said that there are ongoing negotiations with the GCC countries related to free trade.
He furthered that the EU is looking forward to augmenting cooperation with the countries of the region in several areas, including maritime security, training, energy, and technology.
Mora described Oman Vision 2040 as “ambitious” as it focuses on several themes and covers different aspects.
On his part, Sheikh Khalifa Ali Al Harthy, Undersecretary for Diplomatic Affairs, said: “A representation office of the EU will be opened in the Sultanate of Oman soon.”
Al Harthy reaffirmed that the Sultanate of Oman and the EU countries enjoy growing relations.
He added that Oman welcomes the European partnership strategy with the GCC countries and looks forward to strengthening these relations in various fields.
Qatar and Kuwait have also been engaged in intensive diplomatic efforts to exempt their citizens from the Schengen visa. Negotiations culminated in the European Commission’s proposal to officially exempt Qataris and Kuwaitis from the visa, which is awaiting unanimous approval by the 27 EU countries to become effective.
If approved, the people of Qatar and Kuwait will be able to travel straight to EU nations and move between them without needing a visa.
