eu-com-schengen-coop

EUROPEAN UNION
DELEGATION TO THE REPUBLIC OF TAJIKISTAN
Head of Delegation
1. Introduction
Dushanbe, 28 May 2014
LOCAL SCHENGEN COOPERATION (LSC) Tajikistan
2013-2014 REPORT 91
In Tajikistan three Member States, Germany, France and the United Kingdom have their Embassies
on the ground. Two of them, namely Germany and the UK, have their consulates present here and
implement consular activities. Citizens of the Republic of Ireland are also covered by the British
Embassy Dushanbe. Germany – the only country issuing Schengen visas in Tajikistan - represents
13 Schengen states (Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands,
Norway, Austria, Portugal, Sweden and Spain).
In 2013 an honorary consul of Sweden started his activity in Dushanbe. Swedish citizens are
registered with him.
2. LSC meetings held in 2013-2014
In 2013 well-attended meetings were organised on ad-hoc basis, discussing issues of common
concern and interest.
A topical issue of the period was how to implement the Guidelines of EU Human Rights Defenders
in individual cases of active human rights defenders who are in imminent danger (threatened by
officials, harassed by police) – in the consequence of their human rights activity, i.e. how to issue
them Schengen visa and assist them to leave the country in case of necessity. The Guidelines speaks
about emergency cases which need to be harmonized with Schengen regulations. The German
embassy contacted Berlin about instructions how to bring the recommendations of the Guidelines
into consular operation. In January 2013 we had an urgency case communicated to the German
embassy.
Consular issues were also discussed during the bi-monthly EU Heads of Mission meetings.
91
April 2013 – March 2014
12893/14 PR/lm 168
DG D 1 A
EN