Russia hopes to sign mutual visa recognition agreement with Belarus by the end of the year, as the document is ready, State Secretary - Deputy Foreign Minister Yevgeny Ivanov said on Thursday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 17th October, 2019) Russia hopes to sign mutual visa recognition agreement with Belarus by the end of the year, as the document is ready, State Secretary - Deputy Foreign Minister Yevgeny Ivanov said on Thursday.
"As our Belarusian colleagues say, this is a matter of time, they are deciding on the signing date. Everything is being dragged on. We hope [to sign it by the end of 2019]," Ivanov told reporters.
The Russian official stressed that the text of the agreement had been coordinated and approved by both sides.
"It was prepared quite a long time ago already, and it was expected to be signed during [Russian Prime Minister] Dmitry Medvedev's visit to Minsk [in June]. The Belarusian side keeps assuring us that there are no problems with the text, and nothing prevents us from signing it, but the date has not been set yet. However, I'd like to stress that this is a mutually beneficial deal," Ivanov added.
