Moscow - Russia is set to throw its doors open to all foreigners travelling for tourism, business or education after President Vladimir Putin ordered the cabinet on Tuesday to look into options for lifting visa barriers.
A statement on the Kremlin website says Putin gave Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin until June to present proposals. The foreign and interior ministries and the interior security agency FSB will also be involved.
Russia is looking to “introduce a visa-free regime, regardless of the principle of reciprocity, for foreigners travelling to Russia for tourism, business, education as well as sports and cultural events.”
Further steps for consideration include boosting air travel with friendly nations, offering e-visas to citizens of countries that are not deemed hostile by the Kremlin, and extending the duration of multiple-entry tourist visas.
Putin’s announcement is in stark contrast to the latest figures that showed more Russian citizens left the EU over the past week compared with the number of Russians who entered the EU over the same period.
“24 429 Russian citizens have entered the EU over the past week, a minor increase compared to the week before. At the same time, 25 684 Russian citizens left the EU,” the agency wrote on Twitter.
Out of over 25 000 Russians that left the EU, almost 8 000 people came to Russia from Estonia, with another 7 200 entering Russia from Finland, according to Frontex.
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