India and Russia Forge New Agreements: What This Means for Skilled Workers and Tourism
Strengthening Ties Between India and Russia
New Delhi: In a significant development, India and Russia have formalized agreements aimed at facilitating the movement of skilled workers for employment opportunities and the issuance of e-tourist visas for each other's citizens. This announcement was made following discussions between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Vladimir Putin.
The agreements focus on the temporary employment of citizens from one country within the other’s borders.
Additionally, both nations have committed to collaborate on tackling irregular migration.
As part of this initiative, a complimentary 30-day e-Tourist Visa will be available for nationals of both countries.
These agreements are part of a broader framework, with a total of 16 pacts signed covering various sectors including defense, trade, economy, healthcare, education, culture, and media.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was also established between India’s Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways and Russia’s Ministry of Transport, focusing on training specialists for operations in polar regions.
Prime Minister Modi emphasized that this collaboration will enhance Arctic cooperation and generate new job prospects for Indian youth.
Another MoU was signed to bolster maritime cooperation and logistics between the two nations.
Indian companies have also partnered with Russia’s URALCHEM to develop a urea production facility in Russia, marking a pivotal advancement in industrial collaboration.
Further agreements were made in areas such as food safety, ship operations training, medical sciences, and consumer protection, involving organizations like India’s FSSAI and Russia’s consumer protection agency.
Moreover, a protocol was signed between India’s Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs and Russia’s Federal Customs Service to facilitate the exchange of pre-arrival information regarding goods and vehicles traded between the two countries.
A bilateral agreement was also established between India’s Department of Posts and JSC Russian Post.