A senior Iranian tourism official announced on Saturday that Iran, Turkey, Syria and Iraq are in final talks on issuing a common visa similar to the EU members' Schengen visa to facilitate visits between countries.
Deputy Head of Iran's Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization (ICHHTO) Shahbaz Yazdani said the visa will be called "Shamgen".
The foreign ministers of the four countries are currently in final negotiations to decide on the visa, the Islamic republic news agency quoted Shahbaz Yazdani as saying.
Issuing travel visas will precipitate and enhance the tourism industry in the four countries, Yazdani went on to say.
Earlier, Iranian Vice-President for Tourism Affairs and Head of the ICHHTO Hamid Baqaei had said he favored visa-free travels to Iran for Islamic countries and neighboring states.
Baqaei said that removing the visa obligation for travelers that visit Iran would boost the country's tourism industry.
The word "Shamgen" which is a regional version of the European Union's "Schengen" is coined from "Sham," Syria's historical name.
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