KOCHI: The opening of a Czech visa processing centre in Kochi will help ease difficulties faced by Keralites in getting visa and will promote people-to-people contact between Kerala and the Czech Republic, said Martin Smolek, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Czech Republic. The minister was speaking in an interactive session organized by the Kerala Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) in Kochi on Friday. The visa-processing centre, opened on Friday, is Czech Republic's first visa processing centre in the state. At present people from the state have to go to Chennai to get visa.
The visa processing centre in Kochi is the Czech Republic's eleventh such centre in India. He further said that they are planning to open another visa processing centre in Thiruvananthapuram. Speaking on the occasion, Milan Hovorka, Ambassador of the Czech Republic to India, said that the country is considering issuing multiple entry visas to Indians. He also agreed to consider demands for starting a direct flight between the two countries.
Meanwhile, Raja Sethunath, chairman, KCCI said that the chamber will consider to arrange a business delegation from the state to the European country. The Czech delegation also visited Mayor Soumini Jain and held discussions with her on the possibilities for mutual cooperation in various sectors including education and culture. Opposition leader K.J Antony, standing committee chairpersons, Corporation secretary Haritha Kumar, additional secretary A.S Anuja and councillors were present.
