The State Duma is to vote early next month on a far-reaching visa facilitation agreement with the United States, a senior lawmaker said Friday.
The vote is scheduled for July 6, said Leonid Kalashnikov, a first deputy chairman of the foreign relations committee and member of the Communist party.
Kalashnikov said the bill was approved by his committee earlier in the week, and he does not expect serious obstacles in parliament. "There is agreement among all parties that everybody will benefit from this," he said by telephone.
The deputy also said that the draft law would go through only one reading in parliament, instead of the usual three.
The bill, a copy of which is published on the Duma website, stipulates that Russians and Americans traveling to each other's country will get three-year multi-entry visas as a rule, provided that their visa applications are successful.
Originally stated to go into effect last summer, the agreement has been held up in the government's bureaucracy for practically a year. It will become law in Russia after it has been approved by the Federation Council and signed by President Vladimir Putin.
Once the law is published in Rossiiskaya Gazeta, the government newspaper, diplomats from both countries need to exchange another set of notes for the agreement to come into force 30 days later. U.S. law does not require ratification for it.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
