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Latin America can become fully visa-free for Russians

The director of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Latin American department recalled that the visa-free zone currently covers 25 out of 33 states on the continent

MOSCOW, February 8. /TASS/. The Russian Foreign Ministry continues negotiations on removing visa restrictions with Latin American countries, agreements with eight of the 33 countries are yet to be reached, Director of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Latin American Department Alexander Shchetinin told TASS.

"To date, we have made considerable progress in resolving a strategic issue, that is, to turn our countries into a zone of citizens’ mutual visa-free trips. Currently, it covers 25 countries (out of 33)," he said. "At the moment, Mexico, Belize, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Haiti, Saint Lucia, the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, Trinidad and Tobago are the countries where visas are required for Russians. Negotiations with them continue."

The agreements with three countries, specifically, Costa Rica, Suriname and the Dominican Republic, have been signed, but have not entered into force yet, Shchetinin added.

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