The signing ceremony of the Protocol on Amendments to the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Governments of the Benelux States on Visa Waiver for Holders of Diplomatic Passports was held at the Benelux General Secretariat.

The document was signed on behalf of Kazakhstan by the Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the Kingdom of Belgium Margulan Baimukhan, on behalf of the Benelux countries by the Director General of the Consular Service Department of the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Joris Salden, the Ambassador of Luxembourg to Belgium Jean-Louis Thill, and the Deputy Ambassador of the Netherlands to Belgium Max Valstar.

The Protocol extends the Agreement of 2 March 2015 on Visa Waiver for Holders of Diplomatic Passports, providing holders of service passports with the opportunity for visa-free entry, which significantly simplifies the work of civil servants of Kazakhstan and the Benelux countries, allowing them to move freely to perform official duties without the need to obtain a visa and to stay for a period not exceeding 90 days.

During his speech, Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan M. Baimukhan noted that there are more than 200 foreign diplomatic missions in Brussels, as well as 120 international organizations, including the governing bodies of the EU, the World Customs Organization and other international structures that often receive official delegations from Kazakhstan. He emphasized that exemption from visa requirements for holders of service passports will help reduce bureaucratic barriers and create favorable conditions for prompt interaction between departments and government agencies.The protocol will enter into force 30 calendar days after the date of receipt of the last written notification through diplomatic channels on the completion by the parties of the necessary domestic procedures.

Reference: Today, Kazakhstan has agreements on a visa-free regime for citizens of the Republic of Kazakhstan with 96 countries for holders of diplomatic passports, with 77 countries for holders of service passports and with 43 countries for holders of national passports.

Benelux is a political and economic union of three Western European states (Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg), created in 1960 with the aim of achieving freedom of movement of people, goods, capital and services within the borders of the designated states, coordinating economic, financial and social policies, as well as implementing a common policy regarding foreign trade.

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