Russian parliament speaker calls for visa waiver with Vietnam

MOSCOW, May 23. /TASS/. Russian State Duma (the lower house of parliament) Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin has called for a visa waiver agreement with Vietnam. "Your initiative on visa-free entry is worth consideration and support," he said at Thursday’s meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc who is currently on a visit to Russia. "Indeed, our relations have reached a level where this matter needs to be discussed and a decision needs to be made," the Russian parliament speaker pointed out. "We believe it would be right for us to discuss it as a matter of priority and submit our proposals to the relevant agencies," Volodin added. He pointed out that Vietnam was one of the top ten tourist destinations for Russians. "It is a significant achievement because people make choices based on prices, the quality of services and the level of security," Volodin said. "It points to progress in our relations and shows that Vietnam’s economy and tourism industry has reached a new level," the State Duma speaker noted. Except for diplomatic and service passport holders, Vietnamese nationals need to obtain visas to travel to Russia. At the same time, Russians have the right to enter Vietnam without visas for a stay of up to 15 days. Read more