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The European Union intends to suspend the validity of the agreement with Russia for an easier visa regime next week, writes today in the "Financial Times", BTA reported.

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The British daily notes that the plan to freeze the 2007 treaty will make obtaining travel documents in the Schengen free movement area more difficult and more expensive for Russian citizens.

According to sources of the publication in Brussels, the decision will be taken by the ministers of foreign affairs of the EU countries on Tuesday - the first day of their informal meeting in Prague, but will be announced at the end of it - on Wednesday.

Finland has limited the issuance of visas for Russians

"It is inappropriate for Russian tourists to walk around our cities. (The European Union) must send a signal to the population of Russia that the 'special military operation' in Ukraine is unacceptable

," summarized one of the sources of the "Financial Times".

Earlier this week, EU countries bordering Russia threatened to unilaterally close their borders to Russian tourists if such a decision was not taken at the pan-European level.

A number of Eastern European Union countries, such as the Czech Republic and Poland, stopped issuing tourist visas to Russians shortly after the start of the war on February 24.

Russians who have a visa from a country of the union, however, have the right to enter all other countries of the community because of the rules of free movement, notes AFP.

Last week, the European Commission admitted that discussions were underway to see if a "coordinated approach" could be agreed on the issue of tourist visas for Russians.

However, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has expressed reservations about imposing such restrictions.

Zelensky called on the EU not to issue visas for Russians

On August 9, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on Western countries to ban Russian citizens from entering their territory.

Although voices have been heard in support of this idea, there is a general consensus in the EU that the union's borders should remain open to Russians in certain cases - for example for dissidents or for humanitarian reasons.

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