OREANDA-NEWS Russia and China are preparing a new agreement on visa-free travel for tourist groups, which, among other things, implies a reduction in the minimum composition of groups from five to three people. This was announced on Friday, April 14, by the director of the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Alexey Klimov.

"Together with the Chinese side, a new agreement is being prepared for signing, which provides for reducing the minimum composition of tourist groups from five to three people, increasing their visa—free stay from 15 to 21 days and introducing electronic document management," he said in an interview with RIA Novosti.

Klimov noted that Moscow is working on restarting the 2000 agreement between the states on visa-free group tourist trips, which was suspended during the coronavirus pandemic. According to him, the liberalization of the visa regime with China is regularly discussed. Moscow is determined to continue working together with Beijing in this direction, the director of the consular Department of the Foreign Ministry added.