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EP approves lifting of visa for UAE citizens

BRUSSELS, Feb 5 (KUNA) -- The United Arab Emirates will soon become the first Arab country whose citizens can travel to Europe's Schengen zone without visa.
Members of the European Permanent (MEPs) on Wednesday approved a compromise with the European Parliament (EP) on a regulation amending the rule listing the third countries whose nationals must be in possession of visas when crossing the external borders and those whose nationals are exempt from that requirement, said an EU statement.
According to the amended regulation the nationals from Colombia, Dominica, Grenada, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Peru, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, the United Arab Emirates and Vanuatu will be exempt from the visa requirement when travelling to the Schengen zone. In order to enter into force, the draft regulation still needs to be formally approved by the European Parliament and the EU Council of Ministers.
This exemption will come into force only when bilateral agreements on visa waiver between the EU and the countries concerned have been concluded in order to ensure full reciprocity, clarified the statement.
The Schengen Area includes 26 European countries that have abolished passport and immigration controls at their common borders. UK and Ireland are not in the Schengen area and a traveller from a third country needs a separate visa for the two countries. (end) nk.gb KUNA 052302 Feb 14NNNN