BRUSSELS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 31st August, 2022) Belgium opposes the complete isolation of Russian citizens and therefore does not support a general ban on the issuance of Schengen visas to Russians as part of a new sanctions package, Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib said on Wednesday.
"We believe it is important that efforts be directed against specific people who support (the events in Ukraine)... and seek to circumvent the economic sanctions we have adopted.... We do not want to lead to a complete isolation of the Russian population," Lahbib said before a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Prague.
At the same time, Belgium is currently unable to issue tourist visas to Russian citizens due to the expulsion of its diplomats from the embassy in Moscow, the Belgian foreign minister added.
On February 24, Russia began a military operation in Ukraine, responding to calls for help from the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk. In response, the West and its allies have rolled out a comprehensive sanctions campaign against Moscow, which includes, among other things, mass expulsion of Russian diplomats. Moscow on the basis of reciprocity has expelled dozens of employees of various diplomatic missions.
In addition, a number of EU countries have reduced issuance of tourist visas to Russians, while also calling for a total ban on the issuance of Schengen visas to the country's citizens as part of the next sanctions package. Moscow has repeatedly said that it considers the proposal a manifestation of chauvinism and that such a decision will invite retaliatory measures.
