Insta
Single Visa For All Central Asia? Schengen-Like ‘Silk Road’ Visa May Soon Facilitate Your Travel
Swarajya Staff
Dec 06, 2018, 01:47 PM | Updated 01:47 PM IST
Save & read from anywhere!
Bookmark stories for easy access on any device or the Swarajya app.
As part of ongoing effort to strengthen regional cooperation, the five Central Asian states - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan- are working towards developing a Schengen-like “Silk Road” visa that will facilitate visa holders visiting any Central Asian state to also visit the other countries, Ozy has reported.
As precursors to a wider “Silk Road” Visa, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan have already abolished their strict visa regimes while Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have transitioned to a shared visa model.
Several contentious issues among the Central Asian nations like border delimitation and water use have been largely resolved, over the past two years as part of the effort. Tourism, connected with the Great Silk Road, has been experiencing a boom since the past few years and is expected to grow further with the unified visa scheme.
The creation of a single visa regime for Central Asia is scheduled to be discussed at the next meeting of the CIS Tourism Council, which will be held in Samarkand in 2019.
Save & read from anywhere!
Bookmark stories for easy access on any device or the Swarajya app.
Introducing ElectionsHQ + 50 Ground Reports Project
The 2024 elections might seem easy to guess, but there are some important questions that shouldn't be missed.
Do freebies still sway voters? Do people prioritise infrastructure when voting? How will Punjab vote?
The answers to these questions provide great insights into where we, as a country, are headed in the years to come.
Swarajya is starting a project with an aim to do 50 solid ground stories and a smart commentary service on WhatsApp, a one-of-a-kind. We'd love your support during this election season.
Click below to contribute.