Czech Republic did not support a blanket visa ban for Russian citizens in the EU
Published
The Czech Republic has decided not to support a Finnish proposal for a blanket restriction on the entry of Russian citizens into the territory of the European Union. Minister of Foreign Affairs Jan Lipavský informed about this decision. According to the government, it is not necessary to introduce EU-wide rules because the Czech Republic already has its own strict measures in this area.
Following the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Czech Republic was one of the first countries to stop issuing visas to Russian citizens. The only exceptions are cases involving humanitarian aid. Thanks to these national rules, the entry of Russian citizens into the country is already significantly restricted.
The Finnish proposal, which was supported by some other EU member states, aimed to unify the rules for issuing tourist visas to Russians across the entire union. The goal was an effort to limit the travel of Russian citizens to Europe during the ongoing war conflict in Ukraine.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the current Czech approach is sufficiently effective and corresponds to the security situation. The Czech Republic thus continues to pursue its own visa policy, which is among the strictest within the European bloc.
The question of visas for Russian citizens remains a topic of discussion among EU member states. While some countries are calling for a complete ban, other states prefer individual assessment of applications. The Czech Republic continues to stick to its existing setup in this matter.
Sources: České noviny
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