Under a government decree, Moscow and St. Petersburg will host duty-free shops dedicated to diplomats and staff of international organizations. The information was reported by the Parliamentary Newspaper [citation: Parliamentary Newspaper].
Diplomats will be eligible to purchase goods using rubles or convertible currencies such as the euro and the U.S. dollar. The assortment will include tobacco, alcohol, perfumes, cosmetics, jewelry, smartphones, and watches. Purchases will be made only at retail and require documents proving the holder’s official status and accreditation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs [citation: Parliamentary Newspaper].
Vladimir Dzhabarov, First Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council International Relations Committee, noted that the duty-free zones would bring in foreign currency inflows. The shops will operate in only two cities: Moscow and St. Petersburg [citation: Parliamentary Newspaper].
Customs officers will oversee security and inspection of goods. In the future, the stores are expected to develop into a chain established by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in collaboration with another organization, to be selected through a competitive process [citation: Parliamentary Newspaper].
The idea echoes a historical model from the Soviet era, when a network of duty-free points known as Beryozka operated with sales conducted in foreign currency and a similar range of goods [citation: Parliamentary Newspaper].
Recent coverage suggests airports could also host duty-free shops on domestic flights in Russia, reflecting ongoing interest in expanding duty-free retail networks [citation: Parliamentary Newspaper].