Russia said on Monday that it will launch a simplified visa regime for Indian citizens, fulfilling India’s long-standing demand close on the heels of foreign minister Sergey Lavrov’s visit to the country.
Deputy foreign minister Yevgeny Ivanov said in Moscow that in addition to India, Russia is also working on draft inter-government agreements that imply mutual simplification of visa regime with Angola, Vietnam, Indonesia, Syria and the Philippines.
The plan is part of Russia’s renewed focus on Asia amid worsening ties with Europe over its continuing military action in Ukraine.
India has long been asking Russian authorities to relax visa rules in line with Indian visa rules for Russians which enable smooth travel, said people familiar with the matter.
Last year, when Russian President Vladimir Putin met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Samarkand he batted for visa-free travel between the two countries.
In a bilateral meeting between Modi and Putin on the sidelines of the annual Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Samarkand last September, the Russian president underlined that India’s rich history and ancient culture are traditionally of great interest to the Russian people.
Against this backdrop, he said “we propose accelerating the process of negotiations towards an agreement on visa-free tourist travel”.
The Russian Golden Visa programme, launched in January, is aimed at attracting foreign investors through a residency programme and is being offered to Indians. It can be beneficial to the Indian investors who would like to move and live in Russia as well as those who would like to benefit from potential investment income but not necessarily live in Russia.
