MOSCOW, May 29. /TASS/. Some countries charge fees for extending visas to people stuck on their territories amid the coronavirus lockdowns, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Friday.
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"We are very thankful to those countries which have shown empathy and extended visas free of charge. But there are a number of countries which opted otherwise, although visa extension costs a lot and people are short of money. Not only to extend their visas. They have no money at all," she said during an online conference of the Moscow Diplomatic Club.
Many people stuck in foreign countries, in her words, are facing lots of problems, such as the lack of job, contacts with the family, transport logistics, etc.
"And on top of that, they are supposed to pay for the visa extension, although it is not their fault, it is a force majeure event. An objective reality. Notably, some countries charge hundreds of dollars to extend visas," Zakharova said.
"This experience needs to be analyzed too and it will be taken into account in our diplomatic work," she added.