Russia mulls introduction of visas with CIS countries

MOSCOW - Russia will "inevitably" introduce visa regime for member nations of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), a high-ranking official said Monday.

"Visas will be needed inevitably because social and economic level of the countries is different," Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak said in an interview published by the government's press service.

Unless migration is regulated, Russia could not protect itself from ethnic conflicts, he added.

The official also noted that Moscow could expect the European Union (EU) to lift visa restrictions on Russia only if its border controls with CIS countries become stricter.

"Without introduction of the visa regime (with the CIS), we'd hardly ever reach an agreement with the EU over free travels for the Russian citizens there," he said.

Russia currently does not require entry visas or, in some cases, even travel passports from citizens of nine CIS countries. The only two former Soviet republics Russia has visa regime with are Turkmenistan and Georgia.

The CIS, founded in 1991 as a regional association of former Soviet republics, groups Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.