In several separate announcements from earlier this week, Russia has revealed it is planning on introducing visa-free travel from more countries across the world.
One of the announcements was made by Russian Economic Development Minister Maxim Reshetnikov during a panel at the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF), an annual international forum held in Vladivostok, Russia, aiming to encourage foreign investment in east Russia.
“We are working toward establishing a visa-free regime with countries of the Middle East and South Asia. We have proposed the full abolition of visas to Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Malaysia”, Reshetnikov said, reported by Russian media Sputnik. The minister also explained the aim of the move is to increase tourist flow, especially bringing in more premium tourists.
One of the reasons for interest in this issue is the possibility of an increase in traffic of tourists, including premium ones.
Maxim Reshetnikov, Russian Economic Development Minister
“We offered full abolishment of visas to Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Malaysia. This is where incremental growth of premium class tourists is possible in particular. That’s why we are interested in it”, Reshetnikov told Russian news agency TASS.
According to the Arabian Business media, citing Deputy Foreign Minister Yevgeny Ivanov, the list is in fact longer, with Bahamas, Barbados, Haiti, Zambia, Mexico and Trinidad and Tobago also being in the process of having visa requirements waived.
Russia is also working on implementing visa-free travel from several African countries, according to an announcement made on 12 September on TASS by Oleg Ozerov, Ambassador-at-Large of the Russian Foreign Ministry and head of the secretariat of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum.
“We have visa-free agreements with six countries, and there is certainly ongoing work with other states. Moreover, the point on developing or facilitating work, easing contacts with African countries, between citizens of Russia and African states is fixed in the action plan adopted at the second summit. So, naturally, we are not excluding any countries here”, Ozerov said.
Currently, holders of diplomatic passports from 32 African countries can travel visa-free to Russia, Ozerov explained, adding that the process of for implementing the same measure for holders of regular passports is a “matter of negotiation”: “We are talking about the fact that this is a step-by-step process. It cannot happen one step at a time. And each case is a separate negotiation conducted with African countries.”
