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Ali Huseynov: â€œIt is illogical to relate implementation of the new visa rules to the election processâ€ - INTERVIEW

Ali Huseynov: â€œIt is illogical to relate implementation of the new visa rules to the election processâ€ - <font color=red> INTERVIEW</font>

20 October 2010 16:33 (UTC +04:00)

- What did cause recent visa problems for the foreigners arriving in Azerbaijan?

- I should note that this issue was inflated in the provocative articles published by the opposition newspapers. Authors of such ideas are unaware of progressive essence of the presidential decree or they are purposely spreading misleading information.

- Some people are relating the newly-implemented rules to the elections. Could you explain real essence of the decree?

- Firs of all I should note that Decree about â€œSome issues of procedure on granting visa to the foreigners and stateless persons arriving in Azerbaijanâ€ was signed by the head of state on September 13 and it has been known that new rules will be implemented since that time. It is illogical to relate implementation of the new rules to any political process, including elections.

Azerbaijan is the most developed country of the region now. Many economic projects are carried out and international socio-political events are held in the country. Therefore number of officials, businesspeople and tourists arriving in Azerbaijan rises year by year. It is not casually that comprehensive measures have been taken for implementation of the stateâ€™s migration policy in recent years. The State Migration Service was established and united migration information system was formed. This decree considers at first implementation of the rules of migration-control system existed in many developed countries, which attach importance to the security issues. The decree is related to the implementation of the law on amendments and annexes to some legislative acts of the Republic of Azerbaijan approved by the parliament on June 24, 2008. It made significant amendments to the laws on the arrival, departure and passports, legal condition of the foreigners and stateless persons, immigration and etc. I would like to emphasize that the new rules are logical results of the practical measures taken in the fields of legislature and migration in recent years.

Some technical problems were created as a result of coordination with the new rules and procedures on October 15, when the decree came to force, and several days later.

- Why these rules have not been implemented before?

- I noted that united migration control system has been formed recently. Azerbaijan opened embassies and consulates in a number of foreign countries at the same time. We have 59 embassies and 12 consulates in the different regions of the world now. Some of them are responsible for the relations not only with one country, but with several ones. New embassies are expected to be opened in the near future. Azerbaijan has diplomatic relations with all regions of the world. These embassies and consulates have strong material and technical basis and professional diplomats are working there. It means that there will not be problems with granting visa. There are relevant structures and mechanisms for the implementation of the new procedures.

- Why it created such boom?

- We were surprised with that. Is it possible for any Azerbaijani citizen to receive visa on his/or her arrival in European country? Even Azerbaijani citizens having diplomatic passports can not do that. The common rules are so that the traveling person applies the embassy or consulate, receives visa and after that leave for that country. Now Azerbaijan also implements these rules experienced in many countries. Of course, we are interested in visa-free travels between Azerbaijan and developed countries of the world. It is not casually that we signed agreements with a number of European countries about the visa-free travels for the persons having diplomatic or service passports and those agreements were ratified by the parliament. This policy will be continued in the future too.