MOSCOW, August 10. /TASS/. The first group of Chinese tourists has arrived in Russia under the agreement on visa-free group exchanges, the Russian Ministry of Economic Development said.

"The first group consisting of twenty three tourists from the Chinese city of Xi’an has come to Russia within the framework of the mechanism of visa-free group exchanges launched on August 1, 2023. The arrival of new groups of tourists from China that will visit different regions of the country is expected next week," the ministry noted.

Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport hosted the official welcoming ceremony for the tourists from Xi’an. The vacationers will have a rich, one-week program in Moscow and St. Petersburg with visits to the main attractions, the ministry informed.