Prague on August 31 : European Union (EU) Foreign Ministers will be trying to find an answer for the controversial issue of banning Russian travelers from joining the 27-member bloc in the second day of an informal summit in Prague on Wednesday. “In the midst of conflict, there’s tourism banned, however it does not mean there is no space for any type of move,” Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky said on his arrival for the opening day of talks.
The notion of creating a barrier for Russian tourists from entering the EU has been surfacing recently after countries observed Russians coming to visit for summer vacations through neighbouring EU countries, the dpa news agency reported.
The Czech Republic, Finland and Estonia after the imposition of the visa requirements for each of them have called for an EU-wide ban and called for a complete ban on Russian nationals traveling to the EU.
Germany and France have rejected the proposed blanked ban in a joint position paper circulated to the EU member states and seen by dpa, fearing “unintended rallying-around-the-flag effects” in Russia.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, however, has support for a proposal to revoke the visa facilitation agreement signed in 2007 with Russia in connection with the Ukraine conflict.
A change like this could create a EU visa procedure more complex costlier and administrative, while increasing the time it takes to get approval, as per European Commission guidelines.
The move will extend the partial suspensionthat was agreed to in February and in effect since May, to Russian officials in the government and business leaders, to be inclusive of civilian Russian applicants seeking EU visas.
A qualified majority of 15 members or EU countries that make up at least 65 percent of the total population of the bloc is required to end the agreement on visa facilitation.
Since the Foreign Ministers gathering in Prague is being held without formality, no legal ruling could be reached.
