Latvian president backs ban on issuance of tourist visas to Russians

RIGA. Aug 15 (Interfax-Ukraine/BNS) – Together with Finland, Estonia, the Czech Republic and other like-minded nations, Latvia should demand on the European level that the issuance of tourist visas to Russians be halted, Latvian President Egils Levits said.

Addressing the 23rd congress of victims of political repression in Latvia’s Ikskile on Saturday, Levits stressed that this would add to anti-Russian sanctions.

Levits recalled that a discussion about Russian tourists in Europe recently started in Latvia and several other European countries, particularly in Estonia and Finland, which are also Russia’s neighbors, and in the Czech Republic, which last month took over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the Latvian presidential chancellery told the news agency BNS on Sunday.

In this regard, it is necessary to review visas and residence permits previously issued by Latvia, Levits said. Residence permits issued to those people supporting Russia’s actions in Ukraine should be cancelled or at least should not be extended, except under special circumstances, he said.

Residence permits should not be issued to permanent residents of Latvia who obtain Russian citizenship in the future, and such individuals should leave Latvia, he said.

"Trading in residence permits by previous governments, their unjustifiable generosity and issuing residence permits to Russian citizens, behind which were hidden only the vested interests of some businessmen in politics, created security risks and contributed to bilingualism. Now it’s time to review the consequences of these failed and dangerous policies," Levits said.

Earlier this week, the Estonian government approved a new sanction restricting the issuance of visas to Russian nationals and barring Russian citizens who wish to visit Estonia for tourism, business, sportive or cultural purposes and have valid visas issued by Estonia on hand from entering the country.

"This means that if a Russian citizen with a Schengen visa issued by Estonia, whose purpose of the visit is tourism, business, sport or culture, arrives at a border checkpoint such as Narva, Luhamaa or Koidula, they can no longer enter Estonia starting next Thursday, August 18," the Estonian government’s press service said on Friday.

Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin recently spoke in favor of restricting the issuance of tourist visas to Russians at the EU level. "It is clear that Russians use Finland as a transport hub when traveling via our country to holiday destinations in other countries. We’re discussing this matter in the government, and the discussion will continue," Marin told Finland’s Yle website.

Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky said earlier a ban on issuing Schengen visas to Russian nationals could be introduced.

"A ban on the issuance of Schengen visas to Russian citizens could be another sanction," Polish radio quoted Lipavsky as saying on Thursday.