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| Flags of China (left) and Russia |
Albania has decided to remove the visa regime for the citizens of eight countries, the Foreign Ministry stated through a statement.
According to the ministry, based on the decision taken by the Council of Ministers on February 27, the citizens of China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Belarus, Qatar, Oman, Thailand and Bahrain can enter Albania using only their passport.The free visa regime for these countries will only be implemented during the tourist season.
"The decision that allows the citizens of Russia, Saudi Arabia, Belarus, Qatar, Oman, Thailand and Bahrain to enter Albania without visa will enter into force on April 1 to October 31, 2019, while for the citizens of the People's Republic of China, is valid starting from March 1 to October 31 this year," the statement said.
On February 27, Albania's Ministry of Tourism and Environment launched a campaign - Tourism 2019 "Be Taken by Albania" - in an effort to boost tourism and the country's economic development.
The National Institute of Statistics of Albania reported that nearly 6 million foreigners visited Albania in 2018, marking an increase of 15.8 percent year-on-year.