Lavrov proposes scrapping visas between Russia, Dominican Republic

Moscow offers visa-free travel to the Dominican Republic, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Wednesday at a meeting with Dominican Vice President Margarita Cedeno de Fernandez. "We are glad to see you in Moscow. It is the first visit at such a high level. It will mark an important milestone in the development of our cooperation," Lavrov said. "Yesterday, you had a meeting with the speaker of the Federation Council [Russia's upper house of parliament]. It is also an important symbol of promoting interaction." Russia’s top diplomat noted a threefold increase in trade turnover between the two states. "The number of Russians visiting your country is growing," Lavrov said, noting about 170,000 travellers to the Caribbean nation over the past year. "We appreciate the fact that you grant visa-free access to our tourists. We propose waiving visas for our citizens making business, humanitarian and cultural trips at all," he said. The Dominican republic’s vice president said she was happy "to be in this beautiful city", adding that "meetings in Russia will help strengthen relations in all spheres". "Our goal is to mark 70 years of diplomatic ties between our countries," Cedeno said.