Venezuela Hopes for Wider Use of Russian Ruble at Resorts - Foreign Minister

UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) - Venezuela welcomes the wider use of the ruble at its resorts and hopes that tourist flows from Russia will rebound in the nearest future, Foreign Minister Carlos Faria told Sputnik.

"It is no secret that Russia seeks to expand the use of the ruble, bringing it to other countries... As for Venezuela, this would benefit the development of our tourism, because, as we know, hundreds of Russian tourists are flying to Margarita Island," Faria said on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

The minister noted that the number of Russian tourists visiting Venezuelan resorts is in the thousands.

"This process was suspended due to the sanctions imposed against Russia, which is preventing Russia from using the usual routes to send planes to our continent. It will restart. This will greatly help the development of tourism in our country," Faria noted.

Tourists flows have been disrupted worldwide due to the pandemic. Moreover, in February 2022, the European Union closed its airspace to all Russian flights as part of sanctions against Moscow over the country's special military operation in Ukraine.