Israel becomes visa-free for Russians

Russians will soon be able to visit Israel without getting a visa, after a deal struck by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov after a meeting with his Israeli counterpart Tsipi Livni, in Moscow.

The Israeli cabinet minister has stressed the importance of relations between the two countries given that currently, over a million immigrants from Russia and the former Soviet republics reside in Israel.

Aside from tourism, the agenda covered Iran, as well as the Arab-Israeli peace settlement.

Russia reiterated its support for rebuilding the Palestinian autonomy, provided the safety of its workers can be guaranteed.

“We are for the Palestinians regaining their unity on the grounds of political stability, on the basis of principles approved by the Quartet and on the basis of solving social and economic problems. We also think it is important to take immediate additional action to solve the humanitarian problem in Gaza,” said Sergey Lavrov.