In a joint document, Germany and France reject a proposal by some member states to ban entry to the European Union for all Russian citizens, arguing for the preservation of the current legal framework that allows certain categories to enter the bloc of the community regardless of whether they face or not persecution in Russia, reports dpa on Tuesday.
“We need to think about smart ways to use the important lever that is the issue of visas,” stressed the document sent to other EU member states ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers on Tuesday. and Wednesday in Prague.
Acknowledging that visa applications from Russian citizens should be scrutinized for potential security risks, the document also warns against underestimating “the transformative power of first-hand experience of living in democratic systems.”
“Our visa policy should reflect this and continue to allow people to have contact within the EU with Russian citizens who have no ties to the Russian government,” the document, seen by dpa, also states.
The document talks about preserving the current legal framework that allows students, artists, scientists and other high-level professionals to enter the EU, regardless of whether they are personally persecuted in Russia.
The ban may lead to the strengthening of nationalist and anti-European sentiments in Russia
The document warns against complete visa restrictions and emphasizes the importance of not alienating future generations of Russians.
In addition, the German-French document warns, a blanket ban could lead to a rise in nationalist and anti-European sentiment in Russia, where citizens tend to rally behind their political leaders when they feel attacked or victimized by those there seen as external forces. Russophobes.
The German-French position paper is a response to an ongoing debate within EU governments over whether it would be appropriate to ban Russians from traveling to the bloc for holiday purposes, as people continue to die in Ukraine as a direct result of the Russian invasion. (source Argerpres)
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Source: Hot News RU
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