Foreign/Home office politics
Quote:
Originally Posted by colebatch
Its the principle of reciprocity.
A visa for UK citizens to Russia costs the same amount the UK charges Russian citizens.
Similarly the Russian authorities make the UK citizens jump through a similar amount of hoops that UK authorities make Russians jump through to get a visa to UK.
Russia charges totally different amounts per visa depending on what passport is used in the application. If you use an Australian passport, you will be charged a fair bit less ... because Australia charges Russians less for a visa.
Basic principles of fairness.
Russia doesnt need Western tourism to survive, so it doesnt bend over to them. But similarly it doesnt charge us any more than we charge them.
Cant be fairer than that, surely?
The only way they are going to get cheaper is if the UK stops making it such an expensive process for Russians to get UK visas. Or if the governmeaints agree to have a visa free deal that works both ways.
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Countries don't have friends, just interests.
The UK/Russia are still arguing about the rights & wrongs of "who killed the Russian dissident".
A bit off topic, but ask any Canadian national what they are paying nowadays for a visa to enter Dubai; this is nothing to do with reciprocracy, but the fact that the Dubai national airline, Emirates, has been refused additional landing rights at certain Canadian airports - Emirates have these really big new aircraft that can cover long distances in one hop, and they need to be used.
Reciprocal becomes retaliation, very soon.
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Dave
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