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World Jewish News
The New Minister of Tourism Preparing a Visa-Free Regime with Ukraine
08.04.2009
The new Minister of Tourism Stas Misezhnikov told the IzRus portal about his plans in the new position, preparation for the introduction of visa-free regime with the CIS countries and the visit of the Pontiff.
"I am now 'scrutinizing' the case, checking which directions are of the highest priority. I have set the following strategic objectives for myself: abolition of visas with Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus, as well as development of domestic tourism," told Misezhnikov to the IzRus portal in his first full-scale interview after taking the position. "Next week, I will be 'traveling' for two days along the 'Shvil Yisrael' (Israeli path - a route that goes through all Israel, from a small village of Tel Dan in the far north, and to Eilat in the south), attracting the attention of mayors of nearby towns, ambassadors. I want to make clear that we will spend this Pesach in Israel, and rest there. Prime Minister Netanyahu is very supportive in this matter, and I am confident that we can find common ground with him."
According to the new minister, the visit of Pontiff Benedict XVI, scheduled for May 11 this year, will attract numerous tourists to Israel, as well as provide an opportunity to advertise the tourist attractions of our country. "I am responsible for his visit, and today, on April 7, I am meeting the civil servants who participated in the development of his visit. I want to get acquainted with them, to understand how the things are going, and where I shoukd intervene personally. This is a great chance for us and I do not intend to lose it."
Misezhnikov believes that he is well-acquainted with the tourism industry. "I am not a novice in this business - before the dissolution of the previous Knesset, I created a parliamentary lobby on tourism promotion, and in the past, as the head of the financial committee, I used to pay much attention to the industry. Moreover, Yitzhak Aronovich (former Minister of Tourism from "Israel Beiteinu") can always be asked for advice, and he was a good minister. It is in his cadence that the visa-free regime with Russia introduced".
The abolition of visas with Ukraine is Misezhnikov's next goal. "With Ukraine, we have advanced greatly in the visa abolition issue. I intend to make every effort to ensure that the tourists from this country spend their holidays with us, rather than in Egypt or Cyprus. I hope that when the economic crisis is over, tourists from the CIS countries will want to come specifically to our country."
Alexander Goldenstein
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