Could Russia Waive Visas for Muslim Countries?
Russia is reportedly advancing plans to lift visa requirements for several Muslim-majority nations, potentially including key OPEC+ members, to boost tourism and trade amid strained Western ties.
Russia has signalled plans to scrap visa requirements with multiple Muslim-majority countries, an initiative championed by Mikhail Bogdanov, Moscow’s envoy for the Middle East and Africa and Deputy Foreign Minister. While the policy appears to be in development, the goal is to ease travel for tourism and commerce.
No official list of affected countries has been published, nor is there a confirmed date for implementation—and there is doubt whether the proposal is substantive or a diplomatic manoeuvre in a tense international climate.
Moscow is simultaneously advancing similar talks with Asian partners such as Indonesia and Malaysia. Strengthened cooperation with the Gulf states and long-standing partners including Syria, Iraq and Egypt is also envisaged. Notably, most of these countries belong to OPEC+, the enlarged alliance of the thirteen Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) members plus ten major non-OPEC producers—including Russia—that collaborate to manage global oil output.
The announcements were made during the 14th Russia–Islamic World Economic Forum in Kazan. The two-day event aims to deepen economic ties between Russia and Muslim-majority nations at a time of severed relations with the West. Hosting the 2023 edition in Kazan carries symbolic weight: the city is a showcase of successful multiculturalism and peaceful interfaith coexistence, a narrative the Russian state promotes.
Russia is home to roughly 15 million Muslims, representing about 10 % of its total population.
Russia’s Strategic Partnerships with Muslim Nations
Although Russia is not a full member of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), it was granted observer status in 2005—a diplomatic win for President Vladimir Putin. This status allowed Moscow to position itself as a pivotal player between the West and the Muslim world.
To consolidate its influence, Russia launched a “Strategic Vision Group” in 2006. The 2014 annexation of Crimea and ensuing Western sanctions accelerated economic engagement between Russia and the Middle East, welcomed by both sides. Russia frequently leverages Muslim-Russian leaders as envoys: Ramzan Kadyrov, the Chechen leader, has acted as an informal diplomatic bridge, notably performing the Hajj in Saudi Arabia in 2018 and 2022 and holding high-level talks with Riyadh on both occasions.
