The approval of the visa-free travel for Peruvian citizens keen on visiting the 26-member countries of the Schengen Area is expected to boost tourism, trade and academic exchange, European Union Ambassador to Peru, Irene Horejs, has said.
Horejs noted that if this measure is approved, Peruvian enterpreneurs will be able to travel to Europe to attend trade fairs and to do business deals with enterpreneurs from this regional bloc.
"There is a number of activities that will be carried out much more easily," Horejs said after stating that Peruvians and Colombians would travel [Schengen area ] only with their passports for short stays of up to 90 days to the Shengen area countries as tourists.
The first formal proposal for exempting nationals of two South American countries from visas was made last September by Spain.
In October 2013, the Civil Liberties Committee of the European Parliament added Colombia and Peru to the visa-free list, arguing that they meet the conditions laid down in the regulation for a visa waiver.
The European Council’s Committee of Permanent Representatives (COREPER) did the same two months later as it approved Spain’s request.
The Peruvian Deputy Foreign Minister, Fernando Rojas, said the European Parliament is scheduled to approve the visa waiver by late February.
Schengen Area includes EU states Germany, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Estonia, Finland, France, Sweden, Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal and Greece, along with non-members from the European Union Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.
(END) FHG/VVS/DLG
Published: 2/9/2014