Photo: Global Look Press
Latvian Foreign Minister Edgar Rinkevich said that the ban on crossing the borders of the Baltic States for Russians with short-term Schengen visas will begin to be implemented within 10 days. The diplomat noted that the decision is coordinated at the level of the Baltic states, and the government of each country will take it separately.
It is indicated that the ban will apply to the borders of the Baltic states with Russia and Belarus. Russian citizens with short-term visas will not be able to cross the external border of the EU here – land, sea, border at airports.
When asked by journalists how effective these measures can be, given that other participants in the Schengen Agreement have not yet introduced such measures, Rinkevich explained that many Russians use the Baltic section, as well as Finland and Poland, to cross the EU border. According to the diplomat, the maximumefficiency can be achieved only with unity in decision-making, “but regional cooperation is also quite effective.”
“In terms of security, this is an effective step,” Rinkevich added.
At the same time, the minister noted that the government will separately mention “the exceptions that we agreed on” in its order on visas.