Thursday, January 30, 2014

New Step on the Road to Establish ASEAN Community: Visa Exemption Agreement Between Cambodia & Myanmar

New Step on the Road to Establish ASEAN Community: Visa Exemption Agreement Between Cambodia & Myanmar

    
Angkor Wat (Khmer: អង្គរវត្ត)
was first a Hindu, then subsequently, a Buddhist temple complex in Cambodia and the largest religious monument in the world. The temple was built by the Khmer King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century
Visa exemption agreement between Myanmar and Cambodia was signed by Deputy Minister, Foreign Affairs Ministry of the Union of Myanmar, H.E. Mr. Tin Oo Lwin and Cambodian Ambassador to Myanmar H.E. Mr. Sieng Burvuth in the capital of Myanmar – Nay Pyi Taw, on 12 of December 2013. It has happened, during 27 SEA Games, held in Myanmar and this is a good example, how sport can bring countries and its peoples for more closed cooperation, not only in sport area, but in social and political areas as well!
Under this agreement, Cambodian citizens will be permitted to visit Myanmar for up to 14 days without a visa, and vice versa.
Cambodia is the 3rd ASEAN member, to sign such a deal with Myanmar. Earlier, Myanmar signed same agreement with Laos in 2009 and recently, with Vietnam, on 26 of September 2013. Indonesia and Thailand, might be the next countries, to sign visa exemption agreement with Myanmar, as they already agreed it in principle, but not signed it formally yet.

According to legend, the Shwedagon Pagoda has existed for more than 2,600 years, making it the oldest historical pagoda in Myanmar and the world.

How Visa Exemption Agreement, between Cambodia & Myanmar, will help, to boost business, cultural and social relationships, between the peoples, of two countries?
First of all, it will reduce the price of the trip: before, when visa needed, Myanmar people had to pay, USD 20 for tourist visa or USD 25 for business visa, as official fees, plus very often, $ 5-10 more, as non-official fees, what unfortunately, are still, widely, demanded, by corrupted Cambodian officials, on the border. Visa for Cambodian people also, were not for free: USD 25-30, depending on the type of the visa. Now, citizens of both countries, can keep that money at their pockets, and this is very good news. For business purpose, it means, that tour-operators, can reduce price for tour-packages, for both countries, for Cambodian and Myanmar’s citizens, as now no need to charge for visa.
Second, this agreement means, that it will be no more quelling, for Myanmar visitors to Cambodia and vice versa at the airports and in the consular sections of Embassies. Time is money, and, now, no need to wait 5-14 days, for Cambodians, in Myanmar Embassies (in Phnom Penh was usually 5 days or more, in other Embassies, like in Washington, could be more long), to receive visa. Even, before Cambodians could automatically, get visa on arrival, if they fly to Myanmar, by MAI – Myanmar Airways International, but, if they fly by other airlines, like Thai Airways, Bangkok Airways or Air Asia – they usually should apply for visa, in Myanmar Embassies, if they perform private trip, or, if they use service, of tour companies or come by official invitation, it was really, very big headache, for tour companies or inviting organizations, to obtain official permission, for their guests, to get visa on arrival at the airport, for them! For Myanmar’s visitors, it was much more easier, than for Cambodians, as here, in Cambodia, practically, there are no restrictions, to get 1 month visa on arrival, tourist or business, for all visitors, except only, for citizens of several countries, but now, of course – much better, to go straight to the passport control, without spending time (and money), in immigration office, for receiving visa!
And third, the most important point, from our point of view: there is one more step done, on the road, for practical implementation, of the ASEAN motto - "One Vision, One Identity, One Community". One Community – it means, that in the nearest future, ASEAN will become, in many terms, same like EU – where people can freely travel without restrictions and without visas. There are three pillars in ASEAN Community arrangement - ASEAN Security and Political Community (ASPC), ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) and ASEAN Social and Cultural Community (ASCC). These three pillars describe how member states seriously think about important way to become greater regionalism and integration. The ASEAN Vision 2020 was accelerated in The 12th ASEAN Summit in Cebu (Philippines), by “Cebu Declaration on the Acceleration of the Establishment of an ASEAN Community by 2015”. The summit insists all member state governments to accelerate the form of ASEAN Community in 2020 by 2015.

So, right now, Myanmar has visa exemption agreements, with only three ASEAN members - Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.
Cambodia has visa exemption agreements, with all ASEAN countries, for both, holders of diplomatic and normal passports.
Travelers with normal Cambodian passports to Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore and Laos can stay there without visa within 30 days, and vice versa.
Citizens of the Kingdom of Cambodia with normal passports do not require a visa to visit the Philippines for 21 days and vice versa.
Cambodians with normal passports can stay without visa in Thailand, Brunei and now – in Myanmar, within 14 days and vice versa.

Frankly speaking, we are not so sure, if all ASEAN states, would be able, to reach such visa exemption agreements between each other till 2015, but, surely, sooner or later, they will do it, maybe not till 2015, but till 2020.

 Aquatics Cambodia

Afterwards:
Japan eases visa rules for Cambodia
Visa regulations between Cambodia and Japan have been loosened amid efforts to boost foreign direct investment.
Ordinary Japanese and Cambodian passport holders will be eligible for long-term and multiple-entry visas to both countries, valid for up to three years, according to a Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation statement.
Diplomatic passport holders will also be granted an automatic 30-day visa allowance in Cambodia and Japan.
The application criteria for the long-term and multiple-entry visas remains unclear and will be decided on independently by both countries, said Koy Kuong, spokesman for the Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

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