Turkmenistan: Russia Calls for Simplified Visa Regime Ahead of Berdymukhamedov Visit

Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov is preparing for a visit to Moscow from March 24-26. His itinerary includes a meeting with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and a visit to St. Petersburg.

Berdymukhamedov is expected to sign energy and trade agreements, including an agreement on the protection of mutual investments. The two presidents are also expected to discuss the visa and passport arrangements for Russian citizens traveling to Turkmenistan and ethnic Russians living in Turkmenistan.

Russia's first deputy prime minister, Viktor Zubkov, has called for a simplified visa regime to be introduced between Turkmenistan and Russia -- with a view to the eventual scrapping of controls. "Given the increasing level and scope of the interstate and business cooperation, a fundamental solution is required to the visa problem," the official RIA Novosti news agency quoted Zubkov as saying on March 23.

Turkmenistan introduced a visa regime for members of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in 1999.