Russia To Discuss Visa Facilitation With UK If London Signals Readiness - Ambassador

Russia to Discuss Visa Facilitation With UK If London Signals Readiness - Ambassador

Russia would like to discuss with the United Kingdom visa facilitation, if London indicates its readiness, the new Russian ambassador to the country, Andrei Kelin, said on Tuesday

LONDON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 26th November, 2019) Russia would like to discuss with the United Kingdom visa facilitation, if London indicates its readiness, the new Russian ambassador to the country, Andrei Kelin, said on Tuesday.

"Visa facilitation is a good idea, but we can act only on the basis of reciprocity. If readiness is shown [by the UK], we will have a great interest in starting dialogue on visa facilitation for all the categories of citizens. This is a subject that we are yet to come close to in the relations with the UK," Kelin told Russian journalists.

Russia and the European Union have a visa facilitation agreement, envisioning visa-free travel for diplomats and significant visa facilitation for students, scientists and journalists, among other categories of citizens, the ambassador recalled.

"This agreement has nearly been transformed into an agreement on further travel facilitation, which we have given our consent for. As this EU's basis exists, we have quite easily allowed almost all the EU member states to use online visas for traveling to Kaliningrad and the Far East," Kelin said.

However, Russia and the UK have not yet made such a progress, since the UK seems unwilling to ease visa restrictions, Kelin noted.