By IANS, New Delhi : Russia is ready to simplify visa procedures for Indians, specially businesspersons, provided India signs a readmission agreement to take back illegal Indian migrants, said a Russian official here Tuesday.
“Russia wants to multiply trade and business with India and is keen to liberalise visa procedures for Indian businessmen. But for that India has to sign a readmission agreement,” said Vladimir Chryssanthov, first secretary in charge of commercial, economic and financial affairs section at the Russian embassy.
He was speaking at a meeting organised by the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Underlining the tremendous untapped business potential between India and Russia, Chryssanthov stressed that both sides should accelerate efforts to achieve the goal of raising bilateral trade from $3 billion to $10 billion by 2010.
“I am convinced that it is high time we translated our good intentions into real actions. The key factor for their success is the public-private partnership on both sides,” he quoted Russian Ambassador Vyacheslav I. Trubnikov as saying.
The Russian envoy was scheduled to address top businesspersons here, but couldn’t come at the last moment due to an urgent call from Moscow. Chryssanthov read out his speech.
According to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 36,755 Indian nationals entered Russia in 2004 and only 30,982 left it. During the first half of 2005, 17,210 Indians entered Russia and only 14,749 left the country.
More than a hundred illegal migrants from India were detained last year on their way to European countries through Russia.