Agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Federal Council of the Swiss Confederation on the Facilitation of the Issuance of Visas to the Citizens of the Russian Federation and of the Swiss Confederation (Bern on 21 September 2009)

THE PARTIES,

THE GOVERNMENT OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION AND THE FEDERAL COUNCIL OF THE SWISS CONFEDERATION,

DESIRING to facilitate people to people contacts as an important condition for a steady development of economic, humanitarian, cultural, scientific and other ties, by facilitating the issuing of visas to the citizens of the Russian Federation and of the Swiss Confederation on the basis of reciprocity;

REAFFIRMING the intention to establish the visa-free travel regime between the Russian Federation and the Swiss Confederation;

RECOGNIZING that this facilitation should not lead to illegal migration and paying special attention to security and readmission;

CONSIDERING the Agreement between the Swiss Confederation, the European Union and the European Community on the Swiss Confederation's association with the implementation, application and development of the Schengen acquis signed on 26 October 2004;

CONSIDERING the Agreement between the Russian Federation and the European Community on the facilitation of the issuance of visas to the citizens of the Russian Federation and the European Union signed on 25 May 2006;

HAVE AGREED AS FOLLOWS: