The official representative of the Kazakh Foreign Ministry, Aibek Smadiyarov, called on the media not to mislead the public with claims of an allegedly introduced visa regime between Kazakhstan and Russia and to precise in their wording.
The diplomat emphasized that the visa-free regime between the two countries remains in place, despite the new migration rules introduced by Russia. He clarified that the changes only concern updated border-crossing procedures.
Smadiyarov added that collecting biometric data from foreign nationals when crossing the borders of Kazakhstan or entering European countries is a stardard practice.
The Foreign Ministry representative called on citizens of Kazakhstan to familiarize themselves with the new requirements of Russia for crossing the border in advance, "so that it does not come as a surprise and there are no issues at the border.”
He also stated that the issue of Kazakhstan's potential reciprocal measures would be reviewed by the republic's Foreign Ministry, in consultation with other government agencies.
Earlier, Kazakh media reported that Russia would introduce new migration rules from June 30. At the same time, the headlines of news and articles mentioned the alleged introduction of a visa regime, including for citizens of Kazakhstan.
