Angola’s government has introduced a visa-free regime for Russian nationals, aiming to boost tourism and investment opportunities, news outlet Izvestia reported on Tuesday, citing Vladimir Tararov, Moscow’s ambassador to the African nation.
“On September 29, a presidential decree was signed on the abolition of tourist visas with a number of countries, including Russia. On the same day it came into force immediately after publication,” Tararov told Izvestia.
Last month, the Russian diplomat told the media that the Angolan government had proposed a bill that was awaiting parliamentary approval that would abolish visa requirements for citizens of G20 countries.
Russian nationals seeking to enter the southern African country must currently pay a consular fee of approximately $100 in order to obtain a visa.
However, with the cancelation of the visa regime, Russians can freely fly to Angola for tourism purposes for no more than 30 days per entry, and no more than 90 days per year, according to Tararov.
The measure simplifies relations while also promoting tourism and attracting potential investors, the envoy told Izvestia.
He claimed that the Angolan authorities decided to implement the visa-free policy for countries with “friendly and promising relations,” as well as those with the technologies and economic structures to assist Luanda in its economic transformation.
Last month, the Russian Foreign Ministry’s ambassador-at-large, Oleg Ozerov, announced that Moscow was working on a visa-free regime with several African countries. He said the Russian government had concluded visa waiver agreements with 32 African countries for holders of diplomatic passports.
Previously, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Evgeny Ivanov reported that Moscow was discussing visa-free travel agreements with 11 countries, including Zambia.