Borrell (EU) opposes visa ban for Russians


VIENNA, Aug 28 (Reuters) – European Union foreign ministers, who will meet in Prague this week, are unlikely to reach unanimity on the issue of a visa ban on all Russian nationals due to the war in Ukraine, said Sunday the spokesman for European diplomacy Josep Borrell.

Asked by the Austrian television channel ORF TV, the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, who chairs the meetings of European Ministers of Foreign Affairs, including that of Tuesday and Wednesday, said personally opposed to this idea, defended in particular by Poland and the Baltic countries.

“I do not believe that cutting ties with the Russian civilian population will be useful, and I do not believe that this idea will obtain the required unanimity”, he said.

“I think we need to review the way some Russians get visas. We need to be more selective. But I’m not in favor of stopping the issuance of visas for all Russians.” (Report Francois Murphy, French version Jean-Stphane Brosse)



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