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The Baltic states – Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia – have reached an settlement on the restriction of entry for Russian vacationers holding Schengen visas.
The choice had been introduced by the Latvian International Minister Edgars Rinkēvičs upon a joint assembly of the Ministers of the three nations, in addition to the MFAs of the Nordic nations, held in the present day, September 7, in Kaunas, Lithuania.
Throughout a press convention following the assembly, Minister Rinkēvičs stated that in latest months the variety of Russian travellers crossing the EU borders with Schengen visas has dramatically elevated, asserting that the problem has now change into a “public safety challenge.”
“That is additionally a problem of an ethical and political nature, and I believe at this level, the Baltic states have reached, in precept – we’re finalizing the small print – concerning the coverage of limiting entry by way of the Russian-Latvian, Belarusian-Latvian, Lithuanian-Russian, and [Lithuanian-] Belarusian in addition to Estonian-Russian border of Russian residents,” he stated.
Additional, he revealed that although the choice will probably be collectively taken, and the measures would be the identical for every Baltic nation, the restrictions will probably be imposed by way of nationwide procedures.
“We’ll submit, respectively, coordinated paperwork to our respective governments, and I believe that these restrictions will probably be utilized based mostly on choices… within the coming ten days,” noting that in precept, the settlement has been reached, and there are just some particulars left to agree on.
In response to him, all three nations have agreed to ban from coming into Russian holders of Schengen visas, besides in circumstances of humanitarian causes, household causes, lorry drivers and diplomats.
For over a month now, the Baltic nations have pushed the EU to impose a visa ban on Russian vacationers, insisting that Russian vacationers shouldn’t be permitted to wander all through Europe whereas there’s a struggle waging in Ukraine.
Whereas the problem was mentioned between the EU Ministers of International Affairs on August 31, at a casual assembly that passed off in Prague, the Ministers had solely agreed to abolish the 2007 visa facilitation settlement with Russia, making it tougher for Russian nationals to acquire a Schengen visa. In the present day, the Fee has additionally come ahead with an official proposal on the suspension of the visa facilitation settlement with Russia.
The suspension of the settlement solely signifies that Russian residents might want to submit extra paperwork when making use of for a visa, should pay a price of €80 as a substitute of €35 because it has been up till now, and they’ll even have to attend for his or her visa to be processed for a most of 45 days, as a substitute of ten to fifteen days as it’s now.
Instantly after the assembly of August 31, the Baltic states had warned that they’d not again off on their thought to ban Russian vacationers from wandering Europe so long as the struggle goes on in Ukraine.
The Minister of International Affairs of Lithuania, Gabrielius Landsbergis, had stated on the time that Poland was additionally a part of the initiative to ban Russians from coming into the EU.
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