Bulgaria would not back EU ban on Russian travelers: FM

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Bulgarian Deputy Foreign Minister Kostadin Kodzhabashev said Thursday that the eastern European member of the EU would not back an EU-wide ban on issuing visas to Russians. 
 
EU foreign ministers will meet in Prague on August 31 to discuss a new package of sanctions against Russia amid calls from the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Finland, and Poland to ban Russians from traveling to the EU's borderless Schengen area. 
 
The diplomat told reporters at a briefing that Bulgaria supported the proposal of the EU Council’s Czech presidency to suspend the visa facilitation agreement with Russia but it would not back a complete ban on Russian travelers, according to Sofia Globe. 
 
It is noteworthy that Germany, Greece, and Cyprus have vocally opposed the ban, advocated by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

While Germany and other western EU members have resisted the initiative or moved hesitantly, some eastern European nations have heeded their appeals and reduced or completely stopped issuing visas to Russians.

On his part, the EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell pointed out on Monday that forbidding entry to all Russians was "not a good idea."

Read more: Poland reveals plan for EU-wide Russian visa ban

Estonia's Russian tourist visa ban enters into force

On Thursday, Estonia's decision to deny entry to most Russian citizens with Schengen visas issued by the Baltic country entered into force.

The visa restrictions were approved by the Tallinn government last week as part of sanctions imposed on Russia over the war in Ukraine.

As a result of the decision, Russians with Estonian visas will now be turned away at the checkpoints in Narva, Luhamaa, and Koidula on the border between the two countries.

Diplomats and their families are exempt from the new rule, as are those involved in international cargo and passenger transportation; those with the right to free movement under EU law; those who need to enter the Baltic nation for humanitarian reasons; and close relatives of Estonian citizens or permanent residents.

This comes after Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas called last Tuesday on all members of the Schengen zone to stop issuing visas for Russians.

Stop issuing tourist visas to Russians. Visiting #Europe is a privilege, not a human right. Air travel from RU is shut down. It means while Schengen countries issue visas, neighbours to Russia carry the burden (FI, EE, LV – sole access points). Time to end tourism from Russia now

— Kaja Kallas (@kajakallas) August 9, 2022

Estonia's Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu had expressed that he wanted to see an EU-wide travel visa ban on Russian citizens in the next round of the bloc’s sanctions on Moscow.

On his part, Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov touched on the issue, underlining that this would prompt Moscow to take retaliatory measures.

Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, Estonia ceased to issue most types of visas for Russians. Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, and the Czech Republic – have also imposed visa restrictions.

However, Estonia can’t prevent Russian citizens from entering if they have a visa issued by another EU member state.

For a total EU-wide to ban to be implemented, it would require the approval of all of the bloc’s 27 member-states.