Belarus reserves the right to take adequate measures with regard to the neighboring countries that are joining the Schengen zone, Andrey Hiro, head of the foreign ministry’s consular department, told reporters in Minsk on Friday, BelaPAN reported.

According to him, Belarus’ visa fees for neighboring countries will not increase automatically on January 1, 2008. At present the price of a Belarusian single-entry visa for Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland is €5. Consultations are currently under way with concerned ministries and agencies, Mr. Hiro said, adding that Belarus would choose among three possibilities: increasing the fee reciprocally to €60, leaving it at the old level and setting it at another level.

Mr. Hiro noted that the price of Schengen visas is not a subject of talks with any of the three countries, as it is invariable for all the nations that are parties to the Schengen Agreement, but there is a possibility of granting privileges to certain categories of individuals. Talks with representatives of neighboring countries have not yet resulted in a “clear understanding” as to which categories would be entitled to such privileges and the number of such categories, Mr. Hiro said.

A tentative agreement has been reached with Lithuania that Belarusians aged under 16 and above 65 and people with disabilities would get visas at €60 but for a period of three years.

In addition, agreements are expected to be signed with Latvia, Lithuania and Poland that residents of border areas would enjoy eased border crossing procedures, which is allowed by the Schengen Agreement.

“Belarus is interested in the development of all-round ties with the countries of the European Union, and with the neighboring countries in the first instance,” Mr. Hiro said.

Belarus is conducting negotiations on people’s travel with neighboring countries only, as the forthcoming increase in the price of visas to these countries “is the most important problem for Belarusians,” Mr. Hiro said, adding that the Schengen visas that these countries would issue would be valid for traveling to any of the signatory states of the Schengen Agreement.

Ten countries are going to join the Schengen zone and the European Commission will soon make a decision to this effect, Mr. Hiro said.

As for the possibility of reducing the price of a Schengen visa from €60 to €35 for the Belarusians, which has been done for the Moldovans, Russians and Ukrainians, Minsk proposed starting Belarus-EU talks on this subject as far back as 2004. “The proposal remains in force; we are ready for such talks,” Mr. Hiro said.

Maryna RAKHLEY