New York (21 September 2017): St. Kitts Nevis took a significant and historic step forward on Thursday, September 21, when Foreign Minister, the Honourable Mark Brantley, signed a visa waiver agreement with the Russian Federation’s Foreign Minister, H.E. Serguey Lavrov, an agreement that allows citizens of both St. Kitts and Nevis and Russian to travel for up to 90 days to each other’s countries without the need for a visa.
As a country heavily dependent on tourism, St Kitts and Nevis has consistently sought to remove barriers to nationals of other countries visiting for leisure or business and has sought to do so on a reciprocal basis. Today’s signing signals a significant deepening of the bilateral relations between the two countries and affords a platform for continued engagement between St Kitts and Nevis and the Russian Federation.
Both Ministers Brantley and Lavrov spoke at length to the relationship already existing between the two countries and the ongoing efforts to grow that relationship. The meeting was warm and effusive and both Ministers extended formal invitations to visit each other’s country. They expressed the hope that today’s dialogue will lead to closer cooperation between the Russian Federation and the wider Caribbean Community, especially St. Kitts and Nevis.
Today’s visa waiver signing brings to 12 the number of countries which have recently signaled their trust and confidence in St. Kitts and Nevis under its new diplomatic thrust and redounds to the freedom of travel of all Kittitians and Nevisians.
Please note that the waiver takes effect 60 days from the date of signing.
