NEW DELHI, August 21. /TASS/. Sri Lanka's Cabinet of Ministers has decided to allow 35 countries, including Russia, visa-free entry to the island from October 1, 2024, adviser to the country's Tourism Ministry Harin Fernando said.

According to the Daily Mirror newspaper, the list also includes Belarus, Kazakhstan, the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Denmark, Poland, Australia, India, China, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Iran and other countries apart from Russia.

The Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority reported earlier that Russia is a regular leader in tourist traffic. In February, over 30,000 Russian tourists arrived on the island, which amounted to 15% of the total inflow of foreign visitors. Sri Lanka is also popular among citizens of India, the UK and Germany.