Divisions within the European Union remain after today’s informal meeting of EU foreign ministers held in Prague. While ministers reached a political agreement to fully suspend the EU’s visa facilitation agreement with Russia, the bloc remains divided on whether to impose a permanent visa ban. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Wednesday that many member states, including his country, “have raised their voices” against a blanket EU visa ban. In a statement released after the meeting, Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu said he supported ending the EU’s visa facilitation agreement with Russia, but that “that alone would not be enough,” adding that Estonia and other neighboring countries that share a border with Russia and Belarus will consider a national visa ban. “Until we reach an agreement on how to restrict the entry of Russian nationals into the European Union, Estonia and other countries that share borders with Russia and Belarus will consider visa bans or border crossing restrictions for Russian nationals with EU visa,” Reinsalu said in the statement posted on the Foreign Ministry’s website. “At the informal meeting, the foreign ministers of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland issued a joint statement on the significant increase in Russian citizens entering the European Union and the Schengen area and the security threat it poses,” it added. in the announcement. Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto told reporters that the EU today took a step “in the right direction,” according to Finland’s public broadcaster YLE. “A common approach will prevent possible visa purchases by Russians going here and there trying to look for better conditions,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told a news conference after the meeting. Visas were already restricted to certain categories of Russian nationals. Borrell said this is not a legal text but only a political agreement at this point.
title: “August 31 2022 Russia Ukraine News Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-24” author: “Barney Foster”
Divisions within the European Union remain after today’s informal meeting of EU foreign ministers held in Prague. While ministers reached a political agreement to fully suspend the EU’s visa facilitation agreement with Russia, the bloc remains divided on whether to impose a permanent visa ban. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Wednesday that many member states, including his country, “have raised their voices” against a blanket EU visa ban. In a statement released after the meeting, Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu said he supported ending the EU’s visa facilitation agreement with Russia, but that “that alone would not be enough,” adding that Estonia and other neighboring countries that share a border with Russia and Belarus will consider a national visa ban. “Until we reach an agreement on how to restrict the entry of Russian nationals into the European Union, Estonia and other countries that share borders with Russia and Belarus will consider visa bans or border crossing restrictions for Russian nationals with EU visa,” Reinsalu said in the statement posted on the Foreign Ministry’s website. “At the informal meeting, the foreign ministers of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland issued a joint statement on the significant increase in Russian citizens entering the European Union and the Schengen area and the security threat it poses,” it added. in the announcement. Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto told reporters that the EU today took a step “in the right direction,” according to Finland’s public broadcaster YLE. “A common approach will prevent possible visa purchases by Russians going here and there trying to look for better conditions,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told a news conference after the meeting. Visas were already restricted to certain categories of Russian nationals. Borrell said this is not a legal text but only a political agreement at this point.
title: “August 31 2022 Russia Ukraine News Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-10-23” author: “Ronald Morgan”
Divisions within the European Union remain after today’s informal meeting of EU foreign ministers held in Prague. While ministers reached a political agreement to fully suspend the EU’s visa facilitation agreement with Russia, the bloc remains divided on whether to impose a permanent visa ban. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Wednesday that many member states, including his country, “have raised their voices” against a blanket EU visa ban. In a statement released after the meeting, Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu said he supported ending the EU’s visa facilitation agreement with Russia, but that “that alone would not be enough,” adding that Estonia and other neighboring countries that share a border with Russia and Belarus will consider a national visa ban. “Until we reach an agreement on how to restrict the entry of Russian nationals into the European Union, Estonia and other countries that share borders with Russia and Belarus will consider visa bans or border crossing restrictions for Russian nationals with EU visa,” Reinsalu said in the statement posted on the Foreign Ministry’s website. “At the informal meeting, the foreign ministers of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland issued a joint statement on the significant increase in Russian citizens entering the European Union and the Schengen area and the security threat it poses,” it added. in the announcement. Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto told reporters that the EU today took a step “in the right direction,” according to Finland’s public broadcaster YLE. “A common approach will prevent possible visa purchases by Russians going here and there trying to look for better conditions,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told a news conference after the meeting. Visas were already restricted to certain categories of Russian nationals. Borrell said this is not a legal text but only a political agreement at this point.
title: “August 31 2022 Russia Ukraine News Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-09” author: “Barry Buffington”
Divisions within the European Union remain after today’s informal meeting of EU foreign ministers held in Prague. While ministers reached a political agreement to fully suspend the EU’s visa facilitation agreement with Russia, the bloc remains divided on whether to impose a permanent visa ban. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Wednesday that many member states, including his country, “have raised their voices” against a blanket EU visa ban. In a statement released after the meeting, Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu said he supported ending the EU’s visa facilitation agreement with Russia, but that “that alone would not be enough,” adding that Estonia and other neighboring countries that share a border with Russia and Belarus will consider a national visa ban. “Until we reach an agreement on how to restrict the entry of Russian nationals into the European Union, Estonia and other countries that share borders with Russia and Belarus will consider visa bans or border crossing restrictions for Russian nationals with EU visa,” Reinsalu said in the statement posted on the Foreign Ministry’s website. “At the informal meeting, the foreign ministers of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland issued a joint statement on the significant increase in Russian citizens entering the European Union and the Schengen area and the security threat it poses,” it added. in the announcement. Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto told reporters that the EU today took a step “in the right direction,” according to Finland’s public broadcaster YLE. “A common approach will prevent possible visa purchases by Russians going here and there trying to look for better conditions,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told a news conference after the meeting. Visas were already restricted to certain categories of Russian nationals. Borrell said this is not a legal text but only a political agreement at this point.
