Huang Hsin-pi, spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, recently announced that, beginning April 26, applications by Soviet citizens for visas to visit the R.O.C. for commercial purposes will be handled in the same way as similar applications by persons from Eastern Europe.
At a regular weekly press conference held by the Government Information Office in the Executive Yuan, the spokesman indicated that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs can issue a stopover permit to Soviet businesspersons applying to visit the R.O.C. for the first time who have found an appropriate party in the R.O.C. to act as a guarantor. Soviet citizens who have already visited the R.O.C. or who have obtained permanent residence in a country friendly to the R.O.C. and who are applying to visit the R.O.C. for commercial purposes can obtain a stopover permit from an R.O.C. overseas agency once it has been determined that no security concerns are involved. Visa applications for reasons other than business will continue to be handled on a case-by-case basis.