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Senior Russian diplomat says relaxing visa rules for BRICS countries worth considering

Introducing a unified immigration and visa policy within BRICS is a "viable idea" worth thorough consideration, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said

MOSCOW, June 19. /TASS/. Moscow should try to make it easier for people from BRICS countries to get visas to visit Russia, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said in an interview with TASS.

"We should go for this even as there are specifics in our relations with each BRICS member," the senior diplomat said when asked if Russia was planning to cancel visas or introduce visa facilitation for the grouping.

"As regards potential candidates to join [BRICS], we have long enjoyed such a regime with Venezuela," Ryabkov explained. According to him, while Russia has a similar procedure in place with a majority of BRICS allies, "the situation is quite different with some of them, for individual reasons."

Introducing a unified immigration and visa policy within BRICS is a "viable idea" worth thorough consideration, he added.

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Foreign policy BRICS Sergey Ryabkov

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