TEHRAN – The Iranian embassy in Moscow has advised Iranian citizens not to travel to Russia’s northern and southern regions.

The embassy issued a statement after a number of Iranian nationals encountered problems upon arrival in some Russian airports. A report on Porsesh website said on Thursday some Iranian visitors had faced confiscation of passports and unusual questioning by police as they arrived in an airport near Moscow.

The embassy’s statement warned Iranian citizens to avoid traveling to the northern and southern regions of Russia, where they may come under suspicion of planning to cross Russian borders illegally.

The embassy has also said carrying an entry visa alone is not enough for foreign nationals visiting Russia, adding that the Moscow government reserves the right to refuse travelers entry for insufficient documents or on suspicion of trying to use the Russian soil for migration.

The statement also deplored the “unacceptable” treatment of a number of Iranian citizens at the airport, saying the embassy has held several meetings with Russian Foreign Ministry officials and sent a couple of letters of protest to voice objection to the treatment of Iranian travelers.

The Islamic Republic’s embassy in Russia has always emphasized that Iranian nationals must be treated with respect and their rights must be protected, the statement added.

Under an agreement between Tehran and Moscow, Iranian tourists, in groups of 5 to 50 people, can travel to Russia without an entry visa for up to 15-day stays.

In November 2015, Iran and Russia clinched the agreement on simplifying visa requirements, during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Tehran. The accord took effect in February 2016.

In recent years, there has been a sharp rise in the number of Iranian tourists traveling to Russia, particularly to Moscow and Saint Petersburg.

SP/PA