Riyadh - (dpa) - The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs revealed today, Monday, that it has discussed the necessary procedures, with a European team, to facilitate the entry of Saudi citizens to the Schengen countries without obtaining a prior visa.

The ministry added, in a statement today, Monday, that "the two parties affirmed their desire to deepen cooperation and consultation in a way that serves the common interests between the Kingdom and the European Union countries."

This came during a meeting of the team concerned with technical dialogue between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the European Union in Riyadh.

The Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Consular Affairs, Ambassador Tamim Al-Dosari, headed the Saudi side, and from the European Union, Head of Visa Policy at the Directorate General of Migration and Home Affairs of the European Commission, Dmitry Giotakos.

At the beginning of this month, Patrick Simonnet, the European Union's ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, said that there was an announcement soon about a new visa system that would facilitate obtaining the "Schengen" (multiple visa).

"The European Union is working in parallel with a system to exempt all citizens of the Gulf states from visas," the diplomat said in a statement to Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper, expressing "optimism that the Saudis will soon be able to visit Europe without a visa."