The vice-minister of foreign relations of Bulgaria Milen Keremedchiev said in front of journalists during the “Diplomacy and media” seminar in Sandanski, that the work on electronic visas for Russian citizens and citizens of four other countries pays off with efficiency. “So far, 240 000 applications for a visa were given in an electronic manner”, said the vice-minister of foreign relations. According to his words, Bulgaria intends to put this to practice for other countries beside Russia, Ukraine, Macedonia, Serbia and Turkey.

In his report for 2008, Keremedchiev states that for the whole year, 640 000 visas were given out, that being 19% more than last year.