MOSCOW – The government of Russia has set its sights on visa-free agreements with multiple countries for which discussions are underway.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry has embarked on negotiations to establish visa-free travel agreements with several nations spanning Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.
During a recent briefing, Maria Zakharova, the spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, announced the initiative, highlighting ongoing discussions aimed at broadening the scope of nations with mutual visa-free travel arrangements.
Zakharova stressed that official information regarding unilateral visa-free travel arrangements is typically disseminated through the Russian Foreign Ministry’s official website and various social media platforms.
Meanwhile, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov also reiterated Russia’s commitment to implementing a visa-free regime with all countries in the Persian Gulf region.
The official emphasized the systematic nature of these efforts, underscoring their significance in promoting communication, facilitating business ventures, and enhancing tourism exchanges between nations.
This development comes after the Russian Foreign Ministry outlined plans to draft intergovernmental agreements on visa-free travel for citizens of various nations, including Bahrain, Oman, Saudi Arabia, the Bahamas, Barbados, Haiti, Zambia, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mexico, and the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.
Russia is not the only country that is pursuing visa-free travel. At present, most countries are opening up to the outside world and are trying to attract tourists to spur the economy.
Most notably, Thailand is inking visa-free agreements with other countries and it also inked the same agreement with China for visa-free travel on a permanent basis. The country is now trying to get a Schengen Visa waiver for its citizens.
Besides, the Gulf Cooperation Council is also holding meetings with European Union officials to get Schengen Visa waiver for its citizens. The drive to attract more tourists is primarily due to the reason that the countries are trying to diversify income streams and recover from the damage caused by the pandemic.
