Bulgaria mulls simplifying visa procedures for Russian citizens, the country's Ambassador to Moscow Boyko Kotsev announced.

"Visas will not be scrapped, but the regime could be facilitated, meaning a 2 to 3-day issuing and three to four minutes in a queue to receive them," Kotsev was quoted by Russia's Interfax agency as saying.

New Bulgarian visa departments might also be set up in Russia, with 23 currently operating across its territory.

Kotsev added that Bulgaria was also planning to open four more consulates in Russia this year, and one of them, in Yekaterinburg (the fourth-largest city in the country) is planned to begin work "during the first half of 2014".

Despite turmoil in relations between the EU and Russia, Bulgaria ranks among top destinations for Russian tourists who wish to spend their holidays abroad.

Estimates quoted by website Travel.ru suggest that Russian citizens account for 681.5 thousand (roughly 10%) out of the total 7.2 million visiting the country.

Russia also saw a 20% increase of citizens traveling abroad last year, who were about 15 million according to reports by the country's Federal Tourism Agency.

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