( RIA Novosti ) - The Israeli Foreign Ministry is set to begin talks on dropping the visa requirement for Russian tourists, a ministry spokesman said.
On Wednesday, an inter-ministerial commission voted in favor of the measure and directed Foreign Ministry representatives to begin talks with their Russian counterparts, Eddie Shapiro said.
The decision, which must be approved by the government, requires a reciprocal arrangement for Israeli visitors to Russia, he said.
Government approval is considered a formality, as all relevant ministries have signed off on the measure.
Tourism Minister Yitzhak Aharonovich called the initiative a triumph of "common sense," adding that a new era of tourism worth millions of dollars will now begin, creating thousands of jobs.
Israeli diplomats have said the necessary negotiations with Russian officials will take several months.
"We are talking about months, not years," Shapiro said.
The first results of the negotiations will be formally reviewed when Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov visits Israel in October.