Visa

After two years of talks, Greek and Australian officials have agreed on a “work and holiday” visa exchange scheme that would grant 500 young people a one-year work permit as part of a pilot program aimed at boosting tourism and bilateral relations.

Russian lawmakers have adopted regulations which oblige US-based credit card companies Visa and Mastercard to pay billions of USD if they wish to operate in Russia.Under the new legislation, a Russian-based system will also take charge of cashless transactions from this year.

Japan joins EU and U.S. in sancions against Russia

TOKYO -- Japan has introduced visa restrictions for 23 Russian citizens, a day after the United States and the European Union introduced new sanctions against Russia.

Gregory V. Houston, formerly working for the security of the American Embassy in Bulgaria, was investigated under suspicion of ties to te Bulgarian mafia and illegal activity.

An article in the Newsweek magazine dedicated to a murder of staff at the US Consulate in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, surprisingly involves the name of Houston and makes the revelation.

By Stathis Kousounis

The Association of Greek Tourism Enterprises (SETE) has set its target for this year’s tourist arrivals from abroad at 18.5-19 million and revenues at 13 billion euros, as bookings from foreign markets continue to show a strong rise.

Moldova's citizens will soon be able to travel to the EU's border-free Schengen area without a visa, under a draft law approved by Parliament on Thursday.

Bulgaria mulls simplifying visa procedures for Russian citizens, the country's Ambassador to Moscow Boyko Kotsev announced.

"Visas will not be scrapped, but the regime could be facilitated, meaning a 2 to 3-day issuing and three to four minutes in a queue to receive them," Kotsev was quoted by Russia's Interfax agency as saying.

Moldova's pro-European course 'can only lead to a better life'

Moldova's effort to maintain a pro-European course is a positive example for Ukraine and other countries in the region that aspire to EU membership, experts and officials say.

Moldovan citizens will soon be able to travel to the EU's border-free Schengen area without a visa. [AFP]

Bulgaria has formally fulfilled the last requirement for the removal of US visas for Bulgarian citizens.

The draft intergovernmental agreement between Bulgaria and US on exchanging information on targeted terrorism surveillance, approved by Bulgaria's government on Wednesday, creates a legal framework for bilateral exchange of information with a view to preventing terrorism.

Fajon told Kosovo that it needs to work harder on stemming the flow of people from the country seeking asylum in the EU.

“Everything has been done to make that people do not abuse [asylum procedures] or try to go out of the country asking for asylum”, the MEP said in Pristina on Thursday. “It is necessary to fight this,” she added.