Russia and the European Union signed agreements on visa facilitation and readmission at a summit held at the Black Sea resort of Sochi in late May, which ease regulations for students, businessmen and journalists.
But although Russia and the U.K. agreed to begin visa facilitation talks in the run-up to the Sochi meeting, Ambassador Yury Fedotov said almost no progress had been made "against the backdrop of visa facilitation with other EU countries after relevant visa and readmission agreements were signed with the European Union."
The U.K. remains outside the 15-nation Schengen zone in Europe, which many Russian take advantage of to travel around the continent.
Fedotov said he had sent a letter to the Home Office, Britain's interior ministry, but was yet to receive a response. The envoy said, however, he expected "positive changes on this issue by the end of the year."
