The head of EU diplomacy did not support the idea of a complete ban on visas for Russians
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The head of diplomacy of the European Union, Josep Borrell, said that he does not support the idea of a complete ban on issuing visas to Russians, informed he speaking at an international conference in Santander, Spain.
“This is a very controversial proposal. Some countries have already taken certain measures in this regard, others are not going to support this proposal. I don’t think it’s a good idea to ban all Russians from entering,” Borrell said.
In addition, the head of EU diplomacy added that one should be more selective in this matter. He believes that the largest Russian businessmen should not be allowed into the territory of the EU member states, but there are many Russians who “want to leave the country and are not ready to be in Russia in such a situation.” “We can’t close the door on these Russians, I don’t think it’s a good idea,” he added.
After the start of the special operation in Ukraine, some countries proposed a ban on the issuance of Schengen visas to Russians. In particular, the Baltic countries (Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia) made such a proposal, and Finland, the Czech Republic and Poland also joined the initiative. In addition, Denmark and the Netherlands stopped issuing short-term visas. Germany, represented by Chancellor Olaf Scholz, announced its disagreement with the visa ban for Russian citizens.
18 August Heads of EU foreign ministries agreed about a meeting on 31 August to discuss changes to the Schengen visa code to limit the issuance of Schengen visas to all Russians, except for certain specific categories. First of all, we will talk about changing the visa code, which does not allow a complete cessation of the issuance of visas only on a national basis. Initially, the creation of a voluntary system will be considered, which is designed to reduce the issuance of tourist visas to residents of Russia. Those countries that are “already ready for this step” will be able to join this measure.
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