Visa-free agreement comes into force

The visa-free agreement signed by Russia and Brazil in 2008, has come into force;  starting today Russians and Brazilians can visit each other without the usual hassling connected with obtaining an entry visa. The Russian and Brazilian Presidents, Dmitry Medvedev and Lula da Silva announced at a joint press conference on May 14th this year, the date for the cancellation of an entry visa to visit each other, one more step toward the strengthening of the global influence of BRIC- Brazil, Russia, India and China, the acronym that has become a house-hold word in the world.

Boris Martynov of the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Latin Americas section has this to  say about BRIC: "Members of BRIC are  hard at work to have more impact on global affairs, toward which end they are upgrading bilateral  and multilateral cooperation. Part of BRIC’s plan is the creation of the so-called big 20, and the restructuring of many international developmental aspects.  Significant changes have occurred in the world after World War 2,  and it is necessary to take a second look at such changes with a view to restructuring some of them. The cancellation of entry visa requirement by Russia and Brazil will bolster bilateral cooperation between the two nations. It will promote broader contacts between them in all areas, but especially in trade and economic cooperation, a healthy development since both countries are among the ten most industrialized countries  in the world. Russia and Brazil  will by virtue of their new found enhanced position, work to promote global security, as well as ensuring the stability of existing international relations by helping to strengthen the role of the  UN via reforming its Security Council."

Vladimir Davydov, also of the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Latin Americas section believes that visa-free travel will hugely benefit Russians and Brazilians alike: "It is undoubtedly an important step; Russian and Brazilian businessmen, tourists and scientists  will now find it easy to solve the problem of traveling to each other’s country, thus promoting more trade and economic contacts between their two nations."

Russians can now travel freely to Brazil, thus increasing the numbers of countries to which Russians can travel,  and  they include not only members of the CIS, but also exotic ones like Antigua, Barbuda, Micronesia, Northern Marian Island and Vanuatu. Visa-free visits to Turkey for Russians visiting for not more than 30 days will soon go into effect. In the past, Russians visiting Turkey had to obtain an  entry visa for 20 dollars at the airport. Russians going to Thailand to rest can also now enter the country without an entry visa, and the number of countries which  Russians can enter without a  visa is steadily increasing.