EU diplomat Josep Borrell said at a press conference after an informal meeting that the foreign ministers of 27 EU countries have decided to completely freeze the visa facilitation agreement with Russia, which would reduce the number of visas issued and complicate the visa process. European Council in Prague. An attempt to completely deprive Russians of European visas was blocked by Hungary, Belgium and some other countries of the Union.
“We have taken a political decision to completely suspend the visa facilitation agreement with Russia. “This means that the number of visas issued will be significantly reduced, and it will take longer and more difficult to obtain a visa,” he said. aforementioned borrell
However, EU countries have agreed on the need to issue visas. “Certain groups of Russians”However, Borrell did not specify who would fit that description.
He also noted that since mid-July there has been a large influx of Russian citizens into the countries neighboring the EU. “threatening their security”.
“The issuance of visas will continue on an individual basis for each specific case and specifically for certain groups of people,” Borrell said. “He does not want to isolate himself from the Russian civil society, who oppose the war in Ukraine”.
As a result of this decision, Russians will receive significantly fewer Schengen visas. Suspending the simplified visa regime means increasing the visa fee from €35 to €80 and increasing the processing time for documents. In the simplified regime agreement signed by the parties, it is stated that each of the parties can suspend their activities in whole or in part “in order to protect national security”.
there was no consensus
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said that Hungary, Belgium and some other EU countries oppose a complete cessation of issuing visas to Russians.
“The EU will not impose a complete ban on issuing visas to Russians,” Szijjártó said. However, he added that the European Union will cancel the visa facilitation agreement.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has proposed to block the entry of Russians into Europe. According to him, the isolation will allow “to account” the entire population of Russia, which will affect Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In the EU, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, the Czech Republic, Finland, the Netherlands and others advocated a ban on issuing visas to Russians. France and Germany did not support the restrictions. Moreover, the ban decision had not previously been supported by Portugal, Cyprus, Greece and Luxembourg.
EU Ambassador to Russia Markus Ederer was also skeptical that the ban on issuing Schengen visas would help end the military conflict in Ukraine.
“The Russian leadership wants to cut off its citizens from information from the European Union, from the influence of our values. What better way than to ban your citizens from traveling to the EU?” she asked.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Burbock also believes that the consequences that may require a change in the visa regime should be taken into account in order not to turn Russia against the European Union. thinks about it It is worth avoiding a situation where restrictions on the issuance of Schengen visas would turn Russian citizens against the leadership of their own country, but against the EU..
The European Commission also noted that EU visa law “does not provide for the possibility of stopping the issuance of such visas”, but that each country has the right to take certain measures on its own.
“Best Answer”
After the meeting of EU Foreign Ministers in the Czech Republic, Russia’s Permanent Representative to the European Union Vladimir Chizhov described the suspension of the visa facilitation agreement as a “compromising solution” for Russian citizens.
“I think it’s a compromise between the attitudes of the most rabid member states, which demand, as is usually the case in the EU, to stop issuing visas to all Russian citizens and, moreover, to revoke previously issued visas, and to revoke previously issued visas. “Although they adhere to a more logical approach, they also advocate the continuation of sanctions against Russia,” Chizhov said.
Even before the decision of the EU foreign ministers, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that if Russians coming from the EU face difficulties with visas, Europeans will face the same problems. He described the information on the preparation of the decision to suspend the simplified visa regime between the Russian Federation and the EU as “another reckless spiral of Russophobia”.
“We are following this situation with great attention, as it concerns our citizens. Another part of such unfriendly actions against our citizens, if this happens, will require our counter-reaction,” explained the press secretary of the Presidency.
Also on August 30, Peskov warned that Moscow would monitor a possible ban discussion and respond accordingly if EU countries agreed on it.
“reply we will do our bestThus, it meets our interests and protects the interests of our citizens,” he said. “But we do not yet know what measures should be responded to.”
In addition, according to him, diplomacy in the West is now “eroding”. Peskov believes that it is necessary to adapt to these realities and to develop further. He believes that a similar situation exists in the West, in Russia there is no such “erosive” phenomenon.