The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations initiated talks with the European Union (EU) on Monday to secure a waiver on Schengen visa for citizens in the region.

The Secretary General of the GCC, Jasem Mohamed AlBudaiwi, has met with the special representative of the EU for the Gulf region, Luigi Di Maio, in the Belgian capital to discuss the matter, among other issues, the Qatar News Agency (QNA) reported on Tuesday.

“During the meeting, they discussed the GCC-European bilateral relations, including issues related to the visa waiver process for GCC citizens in the Schengen area,” the agency said.

If the GCC region secures a waiver, Gulf citizens travelling to the Schengen states will no longer need to secure a visa prior to their trip.

Leaders in the region have recently approved a Schengen-style Gulf visa system, granting visitors seamless travel across the member states.

(Writing by Cleofe Maceda; editing by Seban Scaria) seban.scaria@lseg.com