The Interior Ministry held consultations of experts on the draft readmission agreement between Belarus and the EU on Wednesday.
The package of documents in question also includes an agreement on visa facilitation. Belarus and the EU have approved the agreement on readmission and may initial the text this year.
The provisions concerning the transition period, during which Belarus will not receive third-country citizens or stateless persons, who are subject to readmission, were preserved.
“The results are very positive. The text of the agreement has been finalized by the experts. Despite the firm position of the EU experts, Belarus insisted on a transitional period for non-readmission of third-country nationals. We have reasons to believe that once everything is approved, we will be able to initial the text of the agreement this year,” Alyaksei Byahun, Head of the Citizenship and Migration Department of the Belarusian Interior Ministry, said.
The transition period will be used to create the necessary infrastructure in Belarus. The center for the temporary accommodation of illegal migrants will be built as part of the international technical aid project, which is expected to cost about €7 mln.
