Parliament approves visa deal with Mongolia

Parliament recently approved an agreement to begin visa liberalization in the travel of Turkish and Mongolian citizens to each other's countries.

The governments of Turkey and Mongolia signed a cooperation agreement intended to promote friendly relations and facilitate the travel of citizens of both countries on Oct. 10, 2013 in the Turkish capital, Ankara. The deal paves the way for 30 days of visa-free travel for citizens of these countries, regardless of the type of passport.

The agreement was brought to Parliament for approval and published in the Official Gazette on March 6 as Law No. 5993. The deal entered into force on April 11.

A cooperation agreement that foresees the lifting of visas between Turkey and Mongolia was signed during Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's diplomatic visit last April to Ulan Bator, which included talks with Mongolian officials.

In Mongolia, Erdoğan conducted high-level diplomatic talks, giving messages about the further development of ties between Turkey and the Central Asian country.

Mongolia, with its huge landmass and vast resources, is considered a strategically important country for Turkey.

A statement released by the Foreign Ministry on Friday said the deal was an important development that would contribute to the improvement of relations between the two countries.

“The mutual visa liberation deal is the concrete reflection of our political relations, which have gained momentum in recent years thanks to the high-level bilateral visits, and will further improve our relations with Mongolia, with which we have historical closeness, in several fields,” said the statement.

Article 3 of the agreement says, "The visa exemption is valid for touristic, business and official travels to the territory of each state, not exceeding 30 days within a period of 180 days."

According to Article 7 of the deal, the visa exemption does not grant the right to employment to citizens of either country.

(Cihan/Today's Zaman)

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