Finland sets conditions for visa-free travel agreement with Russia
A visa-free system between Finland and Russia would have implications for the whole of the European Union, and the question will of course be a specifically EU issue, says Finland’s Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb.
Visa-free travel between Finland and Russia may well become a reality – but on certain conditions, Helsinki Times writes. Finland wants Russia to remove the requirement for foreign travelers to register each time they enter Russia. Finland’s other key condition is that Russia make it easier for foreigners to secure work permits.
The conditions were revealed at meeting in Moscow last week between Finland’s Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov.
Lavrov reacted positively to Finland’s conditions:
- We have heard from our partners in the past that the registration issue is a serious practical problem for travelers entering Russia. Naturally we are taking care of the matter, Lavrov said.
Russian tourism is already a massive business in Finland. The total value of the trade is estimated to be more than 500 million EUR a year and any increase in the trade is likely to be well received by the Finnish business sector.
