Filenews 1 September 2022 - by Andreas Pimpisis
In essence, what the Foreign Ministers of the European Union have actually agreed is to abolish the visa facilities for Russian citizens. And this measure mainly concerns the EU Member States that are part of Schengen. For Cyprus (which is outside the Schengen Treaty) things, as far as visas to Russian citizens are concerned, remain as they were before.
The decision in principle concerns the suspension of the Visa Facilitation Agreement and as the representative of the Cypriot Ministry of Foreign Affairs clarified late yesterday, it does not mean the abolition or prohibition of issuing visas to citizens of Russia. This right, according to Dimitris Demetriou is continued to be maintained by the Member States of the European Union.
In Gymnich in Prague, the EU Foreign Ministers, despite the intense effort of the Baltic and Eastern countries, did not agree to a total ban on visas for Russian tourists. A number of countries, including Cyprus, considered that this measure punished all Russian citizens and not only those around President Putin.
That is why it has been agreed to suspend the EU-Russia agreement to provide facilities for the issuance of visas for Russian citizens, a decision that will reduce the number of visas and increase the time it takes to issue them and the cost.
At the same time, it was agreed that each country can impose its own restrictions on its own borders on the basis of the Schengen principles, while the Commission will be asked to propose common guidelines for the management of visas already issued to Russians by member states.
As far as Cyprus, which is not a member of Schengen, is concerned, the suspension of the facilities affects it directly as it will continue the same practice as before, always in accordance with the guidelines of the European Union.
KASOULIDES INTERVENTION: The Minister of Foreign Affairs, I. Kasoulides, in his intervention highlighted the importance of taking measures directed against the Putin regime, without affecting or having a negative impact on the Russian people. To this end, it expressed scepticism about the possibility of a complete and horizontal abolition of visas for all Russian nationals, pointing out the importance of maintaining contacts with civil society. He stressed that the effectiveness of sanctions depends on consistency in their implementation. He pointed out that due attention should be paid by the EU to Turkey's efforts to circumvent sanctions through its agreements with Russia. The exclusion of banks and companies attempted by Turkey from the EU's framework of restrictive measures enables Russia to continue procuring materials that strengthen, including its defence industry. For this very reason, the Minister added, the EU must be vigilant and monitor the implementation of the Sochi Agreements, but also the Turkish moves and cooperation agreements concluded by Turkey with the Russian Federation.
