Michael McFaul: USA will Visa mit Russland abschaffen

US ambassador in Moscow Michael McFaul, commenting on simplification of visa regime between Russia and the US, noted the diplomatic and economic benefits of the agreement.

“This is a very important step between the two countries. It will be both economically and diplomatically beneficial if we know more about each other,” – quotes the media the statement of McFaul. The Ambassador emphasized that it is “a big step forward, a new sign in the bilateral relations”, noting that the United States is committed to the complete abolition of visas with Russia.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, while in a meeting with the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia Sergey Lavrov during the APEC summit in Vladivostok, also noted the importance of this step, calling the simplification of visa formalities a “historic step”. “It is symbolic that this is happening during the APEC summit,” – emphasized the Secretary of State.

Every year more than 75 million of US citizens come to Russia with different purposes, and visa facilitation can have a positive impact on the increase in tourist and business flow to Russia.

The simplified procedures for issuing visas came into force on September 9.