RUSSIANS TO NEED PASSPORTS FOR CIS TRAVEL

RIA Novosti
October 13, 2004

MOSCOW, October 13 (RIA Novosti) – Next year, reciprocal trips of
Russian and CIS citizens, considering the visa-free system, will
require a reduced list of documents: diplomatic or business
passports, seamen’s or foreign passports, Vremya Novostei reports.

The agreement to change the passport regime was achieved this
September at the 15th session of the consultative council of heads of
the CIS Foreign Ministry consular services.

Russia has signed the agreement on the visa-free border system with
the majority of CIS countries, including Ukraine, Belarus,
Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Armenia.
Russian citizens only need a visa when traveling to Georgia and
Turkmenistan.

According to the Interior Ministry’s 2003 information, over eight
million Russian citizens have foreign passports (as opposed to
internal passports) in Russia. According to the State Statistics
Committee, the number of Russian travelers to CIS countries has
increased by an average of 50% in the past five years. They mainly go
to Ukraine and Belarus. However, only 30% of Russian tourists who
holiday at the Ukrainian seaside have foreign passports.

The Russian Foreign Ministry promises, “to do its best to soften the
consequences of this decision.” Series of interstate agreements are
being drafted to facilitate border crossing for residents of border
areas. Moreover, the visa-free system may remain between Ukraine and
Russia.