Chinese nationals will be entitled to visa-free entry to Russia starting August this year, a senior Russian tourist official said yesterday in Beijing, as long as they go in an approved and accompanied tour group.

Ivan Vvedenski, special counselor of the Federal Agency for Tourism, said that one million Chinese are expected to visit Russia in 2006.

So far, 672 Chinese tourist agencies have been approved to organize tourist groups there to Moscow, St. Petersburg, Irkutsk, Khabarovsk, Petropavlovsk, Chita and Vladivostok.

The Russian National Tourism Office's Visa Free Association, founded in 2003, will receive the Chinese tourist groups.

The Russian Military Insurance Company will provide travel cover and a Chinese language hotline will provide them with help and advice while there.

The total number of tourists between the two countries increased by 30 percent last year, most of whom were Russians traveling to China.

(China.org.cn June 25, 2005)