[By Guancha Observer Network, Wang Yong; Edited by Zhao Qiankun]
During his visit to Washington from April 2nd to 3rd, Russian President's Special Representative and CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, Kirill Dmitriev, held meetings with core members of the Trump administration. The topics discussed included restoring direct flights and cooperation in key areas such as rare earth resources. Deputy Foreign Minister Ryabkov revealed that the next round of talks will focus on practical issues such as simplifying visa procedures and improving personnel exchanges between the two countries. This indicates that "Russia resuming flights to the United States" has been put on the agenda.
According to reports from The New York Times and Simple Flying website, Dmitriev discussed issues related to bilateral relations and economic trade with one of Trump's core members, the U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Wittekowski. Dmitriev stated that American companies "are very eager to return to Russia," and noted that Russia is working hard to restore direct flights with the United States.
An Aeroflot plane parked at an airport. Simple Flying website.
The restoration of direct flight services would mean that Russian citizens can fly directly to the United States instead of having to first arrive at a third-party destination like Istanbul Airport or Dubai International Airport before transferring to a flight to the United States.
Reports indicate that this is not the first time that diplomats and representatives from both countries have discussed restoring direct flights between the two nations. On February 27th, Russian and American delegations completed their first round of talks on bilateral relations in Istanbul, Turkey. During the talks, Russia proposed restoring direct air routes between the two countries. Both sides emphasized the need to achieve tangible results and create conditions conducive to improving bilateral relations. "Especially encouraging the U.S. side to consider restoring direct air services between the two countries."
The report mentioned that the United States announced in March 2022 that it was closing its airspace to Russian aircraft, and Russia subsequently took countermeasures. After the first round of talks between the two countries in Istanbul, Turkey, on February 27th, the Russian Foreign Ministry stated that the talks were "substantial and pragmatic."
The U.S. Embassy in Russia recently stated that after the Trump administration resumed diplomatic negotiations with Russia, Russian citizens are now able to apply for non-immigrant visas, such as "tourist visit" visas.
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Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7490528308837663259/
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