Bill on simplifying visa regime with India submitted to Duma

MOSCOW, August 16 (Itar-Tass) -- The Russian government has submitted
an agreement between Russia and India on simplifying the conditions of
mutual trips of some categories of the two countries' citizens for the
State Duma's ratification, a source in the lower chamber of the parliament
said.
As explanatory materials note, the key moment of the agreement is "the
simplification of the procedure of issuing entry, transit, exit and stay
visas by the other side for up to 90 days during each of 180-day periods
for citizens of the Russian Federation if they have foreign passports."
The document also concerns citizens of India who have valid national
passports.
The agreement envisages the possibility of direct applications of
citizens and organizations for getting visas and the possibility of
issuing repeated visas for a period of five years to citizens of both
states with the observance of a number of conditions.
The authors of the document note that its aim is to strengthen the
contractual-legal basis of Russian-Indian relations in the field of the
regime of mutual trips of citizens. It will also make it possible to
create optimal conditions for simplifying mutual trips of some categories
of the two countries' citizens, first of all representatives of business
circles, scientists, cultural workers, students and tourists.
The agreement was signed in New Delhi on December 21, 2010.