New Russian and US visa agreement close to completion
November 22 2011 by Helen Johnson
A new visa policy between the US and Russia could be introduced by the end of the year, according to reports in The Moscow Times.
The new visa regime could see business visitors and tourists receiving three-year multi-entry visas and government officials receiving US visas valid for a year with multiple entries also allowed.
The long-awaited agreement is set to be ratified in mid-December, according to a US Embassy Official in Moscow, who spoke anonymously to The Moscow Times newspaper. The official said, "We hope for a fairly speedy ratification with mid-December as a goal.”
Reports suggest that the ratification process is intended to be completed by the end of the year, which is slightly later than the previous goal outlined by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who in July said the process should be complete by 25 December.
Meanwhile, the European Union and Russia are also is discussions over a possible agreement to make it easier for officials, journalists, NGOs and business people to apply for short-term visas. The talks have been ongoing since the summer and, again, they could be completed by the end of the year.
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