Russia cuts visa deals with EU countries
President Vladimir Putin recently signed a decree breaking the visa agreement with several nations in the European region
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree suspending visa facilitation agreements with the European Union (EU), Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
The decree, published this Monday by the Kremlin, emerges as a “necessary” response to the “hostile actions of the EU” that arose after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, according to several news agencies.
By virtue of this new measure approved by Putin, the simplified process for delivery of documentation on the reasons for the trip to Russia is suspended; as well as multiple visas, normally given to journalists or official delegations.
Five-year visas for parliamentarians or members of governments of the sanctioned countries are also suspended; The exemption from visa fees for official delegations is eliminated, as well as entry into Russia without the need for a visa for holders of diplomatic passports.
In this line, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also approved restricting the access and permanence in the country to those “foreign citizens and stateless persons who commit hostile acts against Russia, its citizens or legal entities”.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov already announced last week that the Kremlin was in the process of developing a law through which measures would be taken against countries that had taken “hostile actions” against Moscow.
Source: dpa
