Baltics Reach Deal on Russia Visa Entry Ban by Mid-September
(Bloomberg) -- The European Union’s Baltic members agreed to coordinate a visa ban for most Russian citizens at their borders and will aim to pass national measures by mid-September.
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The move would further complicate access to the EU for Russian holders of Schengen visas to travel throughout the bloc’s visa-free travel zone. Latvia and Estonia are finalizing the details of the restrictions for government approval as early as this week, foreign ministers for both nations said Wednesday in Kaunas.
The Lithuanian government at a meeting Wednesday backed a move to restrict entry for Russian citizens at border crossings, with exceptions for people fulfilling certain conditions, such as diplomats and those allowed access on humanitarian grounds. The decision still requires parliamentary approval, while details of the criteria for allowing exceptions for Russian visitors still need to be finalized.
All three Baltic states share a border with Russia, where officials have sharply criticized the push to impose a visa ban on its citizens and have threatened retaliation if one is implemented.
EU foreign ministers last week agreed to suspend a 2007 deal that facilitated the issuance of visas to Russians, which will make it more expensive and more difficult for Russian tourists to travel to the bloc. The Baltic foreign ministers say they got the green light from other member states to introduce restrictions for Russian nationals on national security grounds.
About a million Russian citizens have legally entered the EU since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, with roughly two-thirds passing through the borders of Estonia or Finland, according to data from the EU’s border agency Frontex.
Once inside Europe on a Schengen visa, Russians are free to travel around the border-free zone, which includes 26 nations, including non-EU members.
(Adds details about decision timeline in third paragraph)
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