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Maldives would like to increase number of direct flights with Russia — top diplomat

The flight from Moscow to the Maldives takes around nine hours

NEW DELHI, July 17. /TASS/. The authorities of the Maldives would like to increase the number of direct flights with Russia so that as many tourists as possible can visit both countries, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Maldives Abdulla Shahid said in an interview with TASS.

"We would welcome increasing the number of flights because we need more Russian tourists to come. And we would like to send more Maldivians to Russia," he said, adding "The more flights we have the better."

The flight from Moscow to the Maldives takes around nine hours. The Maldives is one of the most popular tourist destinations for Russians. According to the country’s Ministry of Tourism for May, more than 84,000 Russians visited the islands in 2023. In total, about 700,000 foreign visitors came to the Maldives this year.

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