Zambia and Russia are considering ending visa requirements for travelers to promote tourism after they lifted curbs for diplomatic staff in July, the African nation's ambassador told Sputnik
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 09th November, 2020) Zambia and Russia are considering ending visa requirements for travelers to promote tourism after they lifted curbs for diplomatic staff in July, the African nation's ambassador told Sputnik.
"At the moment the Russian minister of interior and Zambian minister of home affairs are discussing the possibility of now abolishing visas for ordinary passport holders, both Russian and Zambians," Shadreck Luwita said in an interview.
A plan to allow visa-free travel between the two countries was put on hold alongside other programs outlined after the first Russia-Africa summit in October of last year.
"This lockdown has derailed a lot of programs, which were anticipated. Following the Russia-Africa summit in Sochi there were a lot of agreements signed, and it was the expectation of my government to implement and expedite some of these agreements," the diplomat said.
"One of the agreements, which was signed, was the abolition of visas for the Russian and Zambian citizens who are holders of diplomatic passports. This has been implemented; it came into effect on July 1 this year," he added.
Luwita said the southern African country had a lot of potential for tourism growth and was looking to partner up with Russian travel agencies to alert Russian travelers to the possibility of going to Zambia.
