Albania has partially suspended the visa waiver agreement with Belarus. The decision was taken on May 15, by the Council of Ministers, with the proposal of the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Igli Hasani.
The partial suspension of the agreement will only extend to diplomatic and service passports. It was also stated that this decision would enter into force immediately and be published in the “Official Gazette”, VisaGuide.World reports
The partial suspension of the agreement between the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Albania and the government of the Republic of Belarus for the mutual removal of visa requirements, approved by decision no. 152, dated 19.2.2020, of the Council of Ministers.
Albania Suspended Visa-Free Travel for Russian Citizens in April 2023 in Support of Ukraine
Belarus has been one of the countries that has supported Russia’s attack on Ukraine from the beginning, making itself available to official Moscow regarding the deployment of nuclear weapons.
On the other hand, since the first days of the full-scale invasion, Albania has also shown support for Ukraine. In this regard, the same decided to suspend visa-free travel for Russian citizens in April of last year.
According to a press release by the Albanian Embassy in Russia, the new measure is effective all year round, while previously, Russian citizens could visit Albania from May 1 until September 30, 2023, without applying for a visa.
As a tour operator pointed out, the government should find a way to filter out tourists, but ultimately, people should not be stopped from visiting the country or going on vacation. On the other hand, Besnik Vathi, a tourist operator, emphasized that few Russian tourists are visiting the country anyway.
Albania Registered 132,000 Russian Vacationers in the Last 6 Years
Tour operators generally share the same approach and agree that banning Russian tourists should not be an option. It was also reported that during the last six years, a total of 132,000 Russian vacationers have come to Albania to enjoy their holidays.
Moreover, Albania and Ukraine signed a “Treaty on Friendship and Cooperation,” President Volodymyr Zelensky announced in February of this year during his visit to Tirana for the Ukraine-Balkans summit.
Zelensky further emphasized Ukraine’s ongoing defence needs, discussing the possible joint production of weapons.
Based on the VisaGuide Passport Index, the Albanian passport ranks 82nd in the world as of May 2024. As a result, Albanian citizens can travel to 90 countries worldwide without the need for a visa. On the other hand, to enter the remaining countries, Albanian passport holders must apply for a visa beforehand. As of May 2024, Albanian passport holders can travel visa-free to 90 countries and territories: