OREANDA-NEWS. December 23, 2008.   Dmitry Medvedev gave instructions to draw up measures for making tour operators more responsible for the safety of Russian tourists abroad.

Mr Medvedev instructed Minister for Sport, Tourism and Youth Policy Vitaly Mutko to examine measures to increase tour operators’ responsibility for ensuring the safety of Russian citizens travelling abroad on group tours.

Mr Mutko was also instructed to review the agreements regulating relations with partner countries pertaining to partners’ responsibility for ensuring the safety of foreign tourists.  

Russian citizens have been killed or injured in two accidents abroad in the last week.

On December 22, a tourism bus accident in the southern Sinai (Egypt) killed 7 Russian tourists and injured 12. Mr Medvedev sent his condolences to the victims’ families and instructed the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry and the Russian embassy in Egypt to provide all needed assistance to the Russian citizens injured in the accident.

On December 16, a bus carrying Russian citizens plunged into a ravine in southern Israel, killing 24 people and injuring 25.