EU’s Josep Borrell opposes blanket ban on Russian visas; seeks ‘selective measures’
Josep Borrell, the head of foreign policy for the European Union, has stated that he is not in favour of stopping the delivery of visas to all Russians.
Josep Borrell, the head of foreign policy for the European Union, has stated that he opposes stopping the delivery of visas to all Russians. According to the EU’s top diplomat, a complete ban on Russian tourists from entering the Union is not a good idea. Borrell made his statement in the midst of speculations that member nations were getting ready to halt a visa agreement with Moscow which would’ve barred Russians from travelling to the 276-nation-bloc.
In an interview with Austrian broadcaster ORF on August 29, Borrell said, “I am not in favour of stopping delivering visas to all Russians.”
Josep Borrell asserted that he did not think cutting off communication with Russian civilians would produce beneficial outcomes. He also did not think the idea would win the necessary support from EU member states. Borrell opposed a general ban, saying it was necessary to review some visa procedures for specific groups of Russians.
We have to be selective; we cannot take a blanket measure,” he said, adding that he was confident EU foreign ministers would take a balanced approach when they meet next week.
Restricting Russian tourists to EU has recently gained traction
Following reports of Russians travelling to neighbouring EU nations for their summer vacations, the idea of restricting Russians’ travel to the EU has recently gained traction. Notably, all 26 members of the Schengen passport-free area are accessible with a visa issued by any one nation. The Financial Times had earlier reported that due to the conflict in Ukraine, EU member states were getting ready to suspend a 2007 visa-facilitation agreement with Russia.
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EU’s Josep Borrell opposes blanket ban on Russian visas; seeks ‘selective measures’
Josep Borrell, the head of foreign policy for the European Union, has stated that he is not in favour of stopping the delivery of visas to all Russians.
Written by:
Aparna Shandilya
Updated Aug 30 , 2022 1:09 PM
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Image: AP
Josep Borrell, the head of foreign policy for the European Union, has stated that he opposes stopping the delivery of visas to all Russians. According to the EU’s top diplomat, a complete ban on Russian tourists from entering the Union is not a good idea. Borrell made his statement in the midst of speculations that member nations were getting ready to halt a visa agreement with Moscow which would’ve barred Russians from travelling to the 276-nation-bloc.
In an interview with Austrian broadcaster ORF on August 29, Borrell said, “I am not in favour of stopping delivering visas to all Russians.”
Josep Borrell asserted that he did not think cutting off communication with Russian civilians would produce beneficial outcomes. He also did not think the idea would win the necessary support from EU member states. Borrell opposed a general ban, saying it was necessary to review some visa procedures for specific groups of Russians.
“We have to be selective; we cannot take a blanket measure,” he said, adding that he was confident EU foreign ministers would take a balanced approach when they meet next week.
Restricting Russian tourists to EU has recently gained traction
Following reports of Russians travelling to neighbouring EU nations for their summer vacations, the idea of restricting Russians’ travel to the EU has recently gained traction. Notably, all 26 members of the Schengen passport-free area are accessible with a visa issued by any one nation. The Financial Times had earlier reported that due to the conflict in Ukraine, EU member states were getting ready to suspend a 2007 visa-facilitation agreement with Russia.
The suspension is expected to receive political support from EU foreign ministers during a two-day informal meeting in Prague on August 30 and August 31, according to the British newspaper, which cited three participants familiar with the discussions. The blanket ban would expand the partial suspension already put in place by EU in February for Russian government officials and business executives to now cover Russian citizens applying for visas from the bloc.
Following the implementation of their own visa requirements, the Czech Republic, Finland, and Estonia have pushed for an EU-wide decision and demanded a complete ban on Russian citizens entering the bloc. However, Germany and the EU commission have cautioned against banning tourist visas or outright forbidding Russian citizens from entering the bloc. Humanitarian issues have also been brought up by critics as an official decision is still awaited.
