Politico: Greece and Cyprus say ‘no’ to Russian tourist visa ban
Athens and Nicosia are refusing to block tourist visas for Russians who want to enter the EU in line with Berlin and rejecting Ukraine’s call for such a measure, according to Politico.
It is recalled that in recent weeks, officials from Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania submitted a proposal for a pan-European restriction on passport visas, however German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed his opposition, arguing that it was for war. Russian President Vladimir Putin should be punished, not the Russian people.
So, according to the report of the authoritative Media, Cyprus, which hosts a large Russian-speaking expatriate community, adopts an attitude similar to that of the Germans.
“It would be a decision in the wrong direction”, the secretary general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus, Cornelios Corniliou, told Politico. “We believe in interpersonal contacts and even Turkish citizens are granted visas by the Cypriot authorities“, write down.
It is noted, however, that despite the country’s strong connections with Moscow and the heavy price for the local economy, the Cypriot government has supported the EU’s escalating sanctions against Russia.
Greece, again, was among the first EU countries to say it would send weapons to Kyiv to help fight the invaders, despite society’s strong Russophile sentiments, given centuries of religious, military, economic and political ties, he continued. Politico. However, Athens is also not considering changing the visa regime for Russians, according to the same website, which cited government officials.
It is also noted that Northern Greece is among the friendly holiday destinations for Russian tourists in the summer. Airline arrivals to our country from Turkey increased by 177% in July, compared to 2019, the record year for Greek tourism. The huge increase, at a rate of 257%, was recorded in the same period in arrivals from Serbia, according to data from the Athens International Airport.
Many of these arrivals estimate that they do not have access to citizens traveling to Greece on vacation due to bans on direct flights between Russia and EU countries, as Serbian tourists usually visit our country by road and Turks by ships, added the Politico.
Earlier in August, the president of Ukraine rejected, however, the version that tourist visas should remain in force to protect Russians who are being persecuted and are leaving their homeland.
“There are people who really need protection, who are persecuted in Russia, they can even be killed, and therefore they should get help from the civilized world.Volodymyr Zelensky had stated.
however “these are familiar legal mechanisms – through refugee status, asylum claims and other opportunities for help and support». On the other hand, the possibilities provided through the visa “should not apply to other Russian citizens in Europe, tourism, entertainment, business affairs».
EU foreign ministers will not discuss the issue at their summit in Prague at the end of August.
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