Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed visa-free travel between India and Russia with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s annual summit.
Modi and Putin discussed India’s rich history and ancient culture in a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Uzbek summit.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a statement released by the official news agency TASS;
“We propose accelerating the process of negotiations towards an agreement on visa-free tourist travel.”
After Russian troops launched a “special military operation” against Ukraine in February, Modi thanked Putin for his role in evacuating thousands of Indian students from Ukraine.
The deputy chairman of the Moscow metropolis tourism committee, Alina Arutyunova, stated while in Mumbai last week that Russia may offer visa-free entry to Indian tourist groups.
“The President of the Russian Federation has supported an initiative to introduce a visa-free regime for group tourists. Such an order has already been received for Iran on Tuesday. It’s possible that the same assignment will soon be for India,” she said.
Non-CIS countries sending the most visitors to Russia include Turkey, Germany, and India, according to Arutyunova.
A report from the Moscow City Tourism Committee indicates that despite the ongoing conflict, more than 13,000 Indians visited Moscow in 2022, and foot traffic is expected to return to pre-Covid levels by 2023.
E-Visas for 51 countries, including India
A proposal to eliminate visa requirements for international tourist groups has been backed by Russian President Vladimir Putin. A streamlined online application process for e-visas would be available to 52 countries, including India.
The ban on issuing e-visas to Indian citizens, as well as those from 52 other countries, was lifted in July 2022.
Covid-19, a deadly virus, began a pandemic in March 2020, leading to the ban on e-visas. During that time, the Russian administration declared this to be an exceptional and temporary measure.
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