The agreement to change the passport regime was achieved this September at the 15th session of the consultative council of heads of the CIS Foreign Ministry consular services. Russia has signed the agreement on the visa-free border system with the majority of CIS countries, including Ukraine, Belarus, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Armenia. Russian citizens only need a visa when traveling to Georgia and Turkmenistan.
According to the Interior Ministry's 2003 information, over eight million Russian citizens have foreign passports (as opposed to internal passports) in Russia. According to the State Statistics Committee, the number of Russian travelers to CIS countries has increased by an average of 50% in the past five years. They mainly go to Ukraine and Belarus. However, only 30% of Russian tourists who holiday at the Ukrainian seaside have foreign passports.
The Russian Foreign Ministry promises, "to do its best to soften the consequences of this decision." Series of interstate agreements are being drafted to facilitate border crossing for residents of border areas. Moreover, the visa-free system may remain between Ukraine and Russia.
