Russia is ready to work with China on making the visa-free travel regime between the two countries permanent, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in Bishkek.

Speaking during a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, Putin said Moscow would be prepared to pursue the move if Beijing considers it feasible and beneficial, according to bfm.ru.

“We are ready to work together to make the visa-free regime permanent if the Chinese side considers this possible and useful,” Putin said.

Putin also highlighted the impact of visa-free travel on tourism between Russia and China.

The Russian president said that tourist flows between the two countries increased by 43% in the first half of the year, supported by the visa-free arrangement.