Iranian President supports idea of visa-free regime with Russia
By Gunay Hasanova
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has supported the idea of a gradual transition to a visa-free regime with Russia, said the speaker of the Federation Council Valentina Matvienko on November 14, following a meeting with Rouhani, RIA Novosti reported.
“Let’s move further toward liberalization of visa relations. We have made the first step and the number of tourists from both sides has increased. We are ready to gradually move toward liberalization of visa relations with the aim to finally introduce a visa-free regime between Russia and Iran," Matvienko quoted Rouhani as saying.
"It is hoped that the liberalization of visa regime will affect
tourists, organized groups of young people, students, cultural
exchanges, and business people's trips," Matvienko added.
Moreover, she pointed out that this process is important both in
terms of economics and humanitarian point of view.
Iranian Parliamentary Speaker Ali Larijani will pay an official visit to Russia next year, the speaker added.
"I invited my colleague to pay an official visit to Russia and he accepted the invitation," Matvienko said.
She also noted that the Russian-Iranian contacts were growing rapidly.
Specific agreements on the work of Russian oil companies in Iran can be achieved during the meeting of the intergovernmental commission in Tehran on December 13, according to Matvienko.
The speaker also noted that the Iranian side is interested in developing cooperation with the Russian Federation to the field of peaceful nuclear energy, in particular, the continuation of the construction of new nuclear power reactors at Busher, as well as creating a group on scientific and technical progress for the joint development of ways to modernize the economies of two countries.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Rouhani signed a deal that eased bilateral visa rules during Putin’s latest visit to Tehran in 2015.
This document aims to ease the two countries' citizens' travel and eases the conditions for exchange of trade and technological delegations between the two countries.
Russian authorities such as the Commerce and Industry Chamber, the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs and the Public Organization of Small Businesses can provide recommendation letters to Iranian consular establishments to ease the visa procedures for businessmen, according to the agreement.
The trade turnover between the two countries amounted to $1.5 billion in July, while the figure is expected to double by March 2017.
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Gunay Hasanova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @gunhasanova
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