Russian President Vladimir Putin said humanitarian contacts and relations between the countries’ civil societies are strong, citing regular meetings of university heads and exchanges between Russian and Turkish news agencies.
“RUSSIA TO WORK CONSISTENTLY TO LIBERALIZE IT”
“Last year, Turkey was visited by 6 million Russians, making Russia the top country in the number of tourists visiting the country. We’re grateful to the Turkish side for ensuring the safety and comfort of Russian tourists,” he said.
Putin promised “to work consistently” to liberalize the visa regime.
“In the near future, the issue of ending visa requirements for professional drivers will be resolved. We agreed that all holders of service passports will enjoy a visa-free regime, Turkey has three times more holders of such passports than in Russia. As for the visa-free regime in general, it is connected with ensuring security in the region as a whole, including a lasting solution to the Syrian problem. Here, our special services must develop certain parameters. And the work goes on,” he said.