TIRANA, Sept. 23, 2022 – The foreign ministers of Albania and Kazakhstan have signed an agreement that will allow citizens of both countries to travel visa-free, Albania’s foreign minister said.
“I am confident that it will contribute to the further intensification of our bilateral cooperation, to the freedom of movement and people to people contacts,” Albanian Foreign Minister Olta Xhacka said.
The Kazakh state news agency also reported that “Kazakhstan and Albania became signatories of an agreement on mutual exemption of visa requirements.”
Albania has been expanding its roster of bilateral visa-free agreements in recent years in an attempt to increase tourist numbers and trade.
Earlier this year, the Albanian government extended its seasonal visa-free travel to new countries in Asia – India and Thailand.
For several years, Albania has been a visa-free destination during the summer tourist season for several countries, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrein, Qatar and Oman.
Albania’s government came under criticism for extending the same privilege to Russia despite its invasion of Ukraine, despite Albania having joined all EU sanctions on Moscow.
Ukrainians fleeing the war were recently given the right to stay and work in Albania for a year without any visa or other permits.
