MOSCOW, June 19. /TASS/. An increase in the number of direct flights between Russia and Vietnam will contribute to the recovery and expansion of tourist traffic between the countries, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko said at a meeting with his Vietnamese counterpart Tran Hong Ha.

"The recovery and expansion of tourist traffic will be facilitated by increasing the number of direct flights between Russia and Vietnam. We can already see the first results: the launch of direct flights by Russian airlines in the summer of 2023 has led to a threefold increase in tourist traffic compared to 2022," Chernyshenko said.

According to the Russian deputy prime minister, it is important to remove other obstacles to the free movement of Russian and Vietnamese tourists and create comfortable travel conditions. He thanked the Vietnamese side for extending the period of visa-free stay in Vietnam for Russian citizens from 15 to 45 days.

Chernyshenko pointed out that Russia is working to facilitate the conditions of entry and stay for Vietnamese tourists. For example, since August 2023, Russia has a system of obtaining electronic visas, which Vietnamese citizens can use to enter the country.