Foreign
Affairs Minister, Ambassador Olugbenga Ashiru, says the Commonwealth of Nations
is planning to introduce a visa free regime for its member states.
Ashiru
stated this in Abuja on Monday at a meeting with the Secretary General of the
organisation, Kamalesh Sharma.
As a
prelude to accomplishing this, the council of ministers of the organisation is
to present a proposal for the exemption of holders of official and diplomatic
passports from visa requirements at the next CHOGOM meeting scheduled to hold
in Colombo, Siri Lanka.
The
minister said, “We also discussed the issue of free movement to promote people
to people contact within the Commonwealth.
“In the
past, it used to be that holders of Commonwealth passports could travel within
the commonwealth countries easily without having to go and queue for visas. We
are now thinking for ways to ensure that we bring back this old tradition of
the Commonwealth.
“Already,
the council of ministers have recommended for approval at the next CHOGOM
meeting in Colombo the exemption of holders of official and diplomatic passports
within the Commonwealth from the requirement of a visa if they are travelling
within the commonwealth.”
When
approved, he said, other categories of professionals and businessmen would be
recommended for similar privileges.
Ashiru
added that he and the Secretary General discussed areas of mutual interest
ranging from the strengthening of democratic institutions to education and job
creation.
Sharma
said there was the need to promote better trade and investment relationship
among member nations.
Source: Punch
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