Alexandra Cole, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Great Britain to Armenia, responded to the issue of Armenian figure skaters not participating in the European Championship due to visa issues.
The statement about this was published on the "Facebook" page of the British Embassy in Armenia.
"I was informed with regret that the Armenian figure skaters could not participate in the European Championship held in Sheffield. I can imagine how frustrating it was for the athletes.
I first learned about this situation through social media only after the athletes had already had to cancel their trip. We have since been in direct contact with the Figure Skating Federation and the United Kingdom Visas and Immigration Service (UKVI) to understand what happened.
I have been told by the UKVI that the visas have already been issued, but I understand that this is small consolation given the missed championship.
Although the British Embassy in Yerevan is not in any way related to or deals with visa applications and does not make any decisions on them, in such special cases we are ready to assist as much as possible by providing guidance on the process," the ambassador specifically noted, encouraging all travelers to apply for a UK visa as soon as possible.
According to him, the standard procedure takes at least 15 working days, and it can take longer during busy periods or public holidays.
"For trips with limited time, such as tournaments or events, please allow enough time in advance when applying.
With the new direct Yerevan-London flights coming soon, I expect more people from Armenia to visit the UK for tourism, family visits or business purposes.
The UK has a high visa issuance rate and warmly welcomes Armenian visitors," added Cole.
