Tehran, Iran, November 28
By Mehdi Sepahvand - Trend:
The Iranian Foreign Ministry has denied reports that Tehran and Moscow have mutually lifted the visa requirements.
The ministry’s spokesman Bahram Qassemi told IRNA news agency on November 28 that the final agreement for the visa waiver has not been signed yet.
“It has been decided that tourist group visa requirement to be cancelled under special circumstances, something that has not become operational yet,” he said.
His statement came after Sputnik news agency reported that Iran and Russia had “[torn] down the visa wall”.
The news agency quoted Yevgeny Ivanov, head of the Russian Foreign Ministry Consular Department, as having said that per the new agreement, tour groups of 5 to 50 people heading to Russia from Iran or vice versa will be granted a visa-free stay of up to 15 days.
Qassemi, however, said much remains to be done to remove the visa requirement for citizens on both sides.