RUSSIA AND IRAN: TOURISTS WILL NOT NEED VISAS

Iranian Minister of Tourism, Cultural Heritage and Crafts has arrived in the Russian capital, announced the Iranian Ambassador in Russia Kazem Jalali. In a message posted on his Facebook, the ambassador said that the purpose of the visit would be the complete abolishment of group visas between citizens of Iran and Russia.

Having realized that it will not be possible to work on domestic tourism alone for a long time, tourism departments of different countries are actively developing possible ways for the development of external relations in the context of a pandemic. The Islamic Republic of Iran also did not stand aside, establishing cultural and economic ties with its political partners. The fact that Ali Asghar Mounesan arrived in Moscow on June 6 is another confirmation of this.

The transition to a visa-free regime is a logical continuation of diplomatic relations between countries, which began even before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In May 2019, a similar agreement between Iran and Russia, concerning entrepreneurs, was signed by the heads of diplomatic departments Sergey Lavrov and Javad Zarif. It was planned that the same model would work for tourists, but the spread of the disease in 2020 has ‘spoiled the game’.

The head of the Federal Tourism Agency Zarina Doguzova was waiting for the Iranian minister arrival in Russia. The head of the Russian department hopes to discuss the details and strategy for further cooperation with her Iranian counterpart. In particular, it is assumed that a visa-free regime will be provided for groups of Russians traveling not on their own, but through the accredited organizations. However, the details of what conditions will need to be met in order to obtain accreditation are still unknown.

Iran has been trying to develop the tourism sector of the economy over the past few decades.

Security issues related to the geopolitical context and the Islamic revolution of 1979, after which the flow of tourists to Iran from other countries greatly diminished, remains a brake on the country, which has a unique natural, historical and cultural potential.

It was not difficult for Russian citizens to obtain a visa to Iran before - this could be done in advance or directly at the airport of arrival. Now, those wishing to take a closer look at the ruins of Persepolis, the Qajars' residence in Tehran, or get acquainted with the cuisine of the Persian civilization will receive additional motivation to spend their holidays in Iran.

But it is worth noting that the absence of an Iranian visa in the passport may facilitate further entry into the United States or Israel. Previously, an Iranian visa could have made these countries completely closed to Russian tourists.