The door for visa-free travel between Russia and Finland was opened on Sunday as Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and Finnish President Tarja Halonen officially opened a high speed rail service between St. Petersburg and Helsinki. The two leaders seemed positive about at least limited free-visa travel between the two countries. A positive outcome for rail between the two could well speed EU and Russian Federation talks to open up travel to Russia.
European Union
EU and Russia: Free Visa Talks at Standstill
Travel and tourism for Russia is up this year despite slow progress on the free visa issue. The EU’s apparent stalling of Russia on free travel is holding up what could be a boom for the industry worldwide. Business between the EU and the Russian Federation could take many countries out of the recession with expanded cooperation, so just why the EU is holding back makes little sense to many.