Russia may cancel visas for foreigners, a senior Federal Border Service official said Tuesday, adding that the move would not harm security and might attract more European tourists.
The number of people traveling to Russia from the European Union has been steadily decreasing in recent years, the official, Vyacheslav Dorokhin, said at a news conference in Moscow.
"It's hard to explain why it is happening," Dorokhin said, adding that ever more Russians are traveling to the EU, Interfax reported.
"I think the cancellation of the visa regime would help boost the number of people looking to visit our country," he said, according to RIA-Novosti.
Dorokhin did not specify any timeframe for a cancellation of visas and did not say whether he was referring only to tourist visas or other types as well.
He also did not indicate whether his proposal referred solely to the EU or included other regions as well. He noted, though, that Russia has a visa-free regime with more than 30 countries.
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