HELSINKI: The Finland government wants to tighten visa regulations for people from Russia, Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto said Thursday, a media report said.
According to reports, The Foreign Ministry in Helsinki is preparing measures to be discussed at a meeting of European Union foreign ministers at the end of the month, Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto told the broadcaster.
Finnish radio station Yle, Russian citizens should no longer be issued tourist visas in the manner in which they are currently provided. Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto told the channel that the Helsinki Foreign Ministry is putting together policies for a meeting of EU foreign ministers at the end of the month. He said, it is not enough for Finland to decide on its own; the Schengen region as a whole needs to follow the same rules.
Russia, on the other hand, has recently threatened to take action if Finland ceases or limits the issuance of tourist visas to Russian nationals. Finland intends to urge other EU nations to start upholding the same standards. Haavisto pointed out that there are various legal considerations that must be made while changing the visa programme. Other legal solutions include prioritising visa applications and delaying their processing times.
According to Yle, lawmakers from all political parties supported the action in response to the neighbouring Ukraine war that Russia started in February.
Finland and Russia have the longest shared border in the EU at 1340 kilometres. Yle reports that despite Moscow's attacks, Russian tourists have so far been allowed to pass the Finnish border by bus or automobile and enter the Schengen region.
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