Brussels, 27/11/2007 (Agence Europe) - On Friday 23 November, the EU approved the conclusion of agreements on readmission and additional flexibility in the details for obtaining visas between the European Community and Moldova. The European Parliament had returned a favourable opinion at its plenary session of 13 November. The agreements are set to enter into force on 1 January 2008. The objective of the agreement on visas is to facilitate, on the basis of reciprocity, the issuing of visas for short stays (less than three months) for citizens of the EU and of Moldova. The citizens of the Union already have a dispensation from visa obligations from Moldova. Visa handling costs are set at €35 for all Moldovans, with a total exoneration from visa charges for certain categories of applicants (EUROPE 9523). This agreement will not apply to Denmark, Ireland or the United Kingdom. It is worth noting that only Denmark is not connected to the readmission agreement. The Moldovans will also have the possibility, from January 2008, of obtaining Schengen visas from the joint visa issuing centre at the Hungarian embassy in Chisinau (EUROPE 9415), the local press were recently informed by the Hungarian Ambassador Mihaly Bayer. This possibility will be offered to citizens of Moldova by virtue of the fact that Hungary is to join the Schengen zone on 21 December. This prototype European consulate already issues visas for Hungary, Slovenia, Austria, Estonia, Latvia and Denmark (EUROPE 9397). Mr Bayer explained that by the end of the year, several countries are to join the centre: Belgium, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway and the Netherlands. The second centre of this kind exists within the Slovenian Embassy to Podgorica, the capital of Montenegro. (B.C.)