EU’s Borrell: Foreign Ministers Agree to Suspend Visa Deal With Russia
2022.08.31 18:21
By Scott Kanowsky
Investing.com — European Union foreign ministers have agreed to halt a visa facilitation agreement with Russia, potentially making it more difficult and expensive for Russians to visit the bloc, the EU’s top diplomat said on Wednesday.
In a statement on Twitter, EU foreign affairs minister Josep Borrell backed the decision, claiming that there has been a “substantial increase” in the number of Russian tourists entering neighboring European states since mid-July.
“This is becoming a security risk,” Borrell wrote. He also told reporters at a news conference following a two-day meeting of foreign ministers in Prague that many Russians are crossing into Europe for leisure and shopping despite the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Member states remain divided on instituting a wholesale ban of travel visas for Russian citizens, according to a Reuters report.
However, Borrell said EU diplomats agreed to allow the European Commission to explore measures that would possibly keep Russians who already hold visas from entering the 27-nation group.
He added that individual countries are free to enact restrictions at their individual borders as long as these steps follow the EU’s Schengen border rules.
