Kunming may open SCO visa facilitation centres

KUNMING. KAZINFORM The authorities of the Chinese city of Kunming propose to open visa facilitation centres of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization member states, Kazinform correspondent reports.

Secretary of the Party Committee of Kunming city (Yunnan Province) Cheng Lianyuan made such a statement at a meeting with SCO Secretary General Rashid Alimov, Ambassador of Kazakhstan to China Shakhrat Nuryshev as well as heads of diplomatic missions of Tajikistan (Parviz Davlatoda) and Uzbekistan (Daniyar Kurbanov).

This measure is aimed at boosting tourism from Yunnan province and neighboring regions to the SCO countries. Visa facilitation centres will enable them to apply for a visa without visiting the embassies of the SCO countries.

Kunming authorities offered also to open a cultural centre and a SCO Alley in the city.

Recall that 2017 was announced the Year of Chinese Tourism in Kazakhstan.

As per preliminary estimations, more than half a million of Chinese tourists are expected to come to Kazakhstan during the Astana EXPO 2017.
The Kazakhstan-China ADS Agreement signed last December opened new opportunities for tourism cooperation providing for organization of group trips of Chinese tourists to our country.