DUBLIN REJECTS PROPOSAL TO RESTRICT TOURIST VISAS FOR RUSSIANS

BRUSSELS, OCTOBER 14 /SRNA - RIA Novosti/ - Ireland, which holds the rotating presidency of the EU Council, has opposed a German proposal to limit the validity of tourist visas issued to Russian citizens to the territory of the country that issued them, the Reporter newspaper reported, citing a European Council document.

Dublin warned that the German initiative could undermine trust among the signatories to the Schengen Agreement and face legal obstacles, also arguing that the proposed measure would have no impact on the alleged security threats cited by Berlin as grounds for introducing such restrictions.

The European Commission is expected to present proposals for new targeted visa restrictions early next year.

Berlin previously proposed requiring countries that continue to issue Russian citizens visas for non-essential travel, including tourism, to switch to visas with territorially restricted validity. Such visas would not allow their holders to move freely within the Schengen Area, where internal border controls have been abolished.

The Russian Foreign Ministry has repeatedly described restrictions on the issuance of Schengen visas as a form of discrimination on national grounds and an example of EU hypocrisy.