“Russia Preparing to Lift Visa Requirements for Iranian Citizens”
Iran’s embassy in Moscow says Russia is taking steps to abolish visas for Iranian citizens. Russia’s State Tourism Agency announced that Iran is among 20 countries whose citizens travel to Russia more than any others.
The diplomatic section of Iran’s embassy in Moscow announced that Russia is preparing to lift visa requirements for Iranian citizens.
According to ISNA, the head of Russia’s State Tourism Agency said that Russia has begun working on the process of abolishing visa issuance for Iran and India.
ISNA reported, citing the media-diplomatic section of Iran’s embassy in Moscow, that Oleg Safonov, head of Russia’s State Tourism Agency, has announced immediate measures in this regard.
He said that Russia will take more immediate steps toward abolishing and facilitating visas and is prepared to increase the number of Iranian and Indian tourists traveling to Russia.
According to ISNA, Safonov described Iran as one of the safest countries for Russian citizens. Russia’s State Tourism Agency announced that Iran is among 20 countries whose tourists travel to Russia more than any others.
Mehdi Sanayee, Iran’s ambassador to Russia, had previously pledged that the Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to unilaterally abolish visa requirements to allow Russian tourists easier access to Iran. In this regard, Iran increased the length of stay for Russian citizens holding airport visas to 30 days in October 2015.
According to ISNA, in the current year (2016), more than 35,000 visas were issued to Iranians, and according to forecasts, this figure is expected to double in the coming year. Mehdi Sanayee, after signing the visa facilitation agreement in 2015, announced that this measure constitutes a step toward abolishing visa issuance for tourist groups.
Source: DW
