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Estonian party suggest 72-hours visa-free regime with Russia

@The 72-hours visa-free regime with Russia could develop more lives of people living near the border and could expand the cultural exchange," the party said in a statement

© Elena Nagornykh/ITAR-TASS

TALLINN, March 13. /TASS/. Estonia’s People’s Union party has suggested introducing a 72-hours visa-free regime with Russia.

"The 72-hours visa-free regime with Russia could develop more lives of people living near the border and could expand the cultural exchange," the party said in a statement published on its website on Sunday. "The government has been ignoring for many years ways to attract to Estonia more tourists from Russia. It is high time to stop this practice, which damages our people."

This policy breaks up the two neighboring countries, the party’s leaders said, and gave an example of Finland, where a short visa-free regime is used for the people, who live in settlements near the border.

The People’s Union party is not represented in Estonia’s parliament. The party’s leader Kristina Oyuland says about 20% of the party members are ethnical Russians. "From the very beginning, our objective was to unite people of different nationalities, every person is important for Estonia," she said.

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