Russian tourism agency head to discuss launch of e-visas for citizens of 52 countries with Lavrov
MOSCOW. Sept 7 (Interfax) - Russian Federal Agency for Tourism (Rostourism) head Zarina Doguzova has said she expects to meet with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov next week to discuss the launch of an electronic visa program for citizens of 52 countries, including those Russia has designated as "unfriendly" ones.
"I'll ask for a meeting [with Lavrov] next week so that we could discuss all this in detail with him based on the forum's [the Eastern Economic Forum] outcomes. I've seen his words that an instruction will be issued not to follow the tit-for-tat principle as concerns visas. I hope we'll be able to launch an electronic visa program in the near future, which we were looking forward to so much before the pandemic but which had to be suspended later," Doguzova said in an interview with Rossiya-24 (VGTRK) on the sidelines of the EEF.
Russia earlier planned to launch e-visas for citizens of 52 countries, including European ones, she said.
"Once we decided to respond with openness and invite foreign tourists to us, why not launch an e-visa program for the entire list of those countries, including European ones? Foreign tourists help make dozens of billions of dollars around the world. These are big revenues for our country, this is foreign demand, which would stimulate the development of infrastructure and help create new jobs. And besides, it's strategically important for us today to communicate our position to the world, so that tourists, citizens of countries whose governments are taking unfriendly steps toward our country, would have a chance to see for themselves what Russia is actually like. When you've spent a great time in Russia and know this country, it would be hard to persuade you that there are mean people here," Doguzova said.
Tourists from countries that traveled to Russia before the coronavirus pandemic would do so now, as well, if they have access to convenient e-visas, even though their number could be lower than before, she said.
"Certainly, we need to do some information work and launch an ad campaign. Many fear to visit us for various reasons. But visas play a key role. When you can travel to Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan, or the Far East for a weekend conveniently, visa-free, or with a conveniently obtained e-visa, you look at this in a different way. When you don't have to waste time on bureaucratic procedures, I am sure millions of people would view trips to Russia differently," she said.
"Those who wish to come to us with peaceful purposes should be able to come and enjoy a good time here," she said.
Speaking at a meeting of the Russian State Council presidium dealing with the development of tourism on Tuesday, Doguzova had asked President Vladimir Putin to revisit the plans to launch e-visas for citizens of 52 countries, without following the reciprocity principle, which Russia usually sticks to as concerns visas. Putin suggested elaborating on this proposal "without clinging to reciprocity." Speaking at the EEF session on Wednesday, Putin said Russia would not respond symmetrically to the European Union's decision to suspend the Visa Facilitation Agreement with Russia.