Lithuania believes that the right of Russian tourists to travel throughout Europe is not undeniable and Vilnus continues to recommend that sanctions pressure on Russia should increase in response to Moscow's special military operation in Ukraine, Lithuania Seimas (parliament) Speaker Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen said on Monday
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 19th September, 2022) Lithuania believes that the right of Russian tourists to travel throughout Europe is not undeniable and Vilnus continues to recommend that sanctions pressure on Russia should increase in response to Moscow's special military operation in Ukraine, Lithuania Seimas (parliament) Speaker Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen said on Monday.
Earlier in the day, the decision of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia to refuse entry to Russian citizens despite having obtained a Schengen visa in other countries came into force. The visa allows a holder to travel to any of the Schengen area member states for up to 90 days for the purposes of tourism and business.
"We do not believe that the right of Russian tourists (to) enjoy the privilege of spending time in Europe is something that is undeniable," Cmilyte-Nielsen said during an event at the Hudson Institute.
Cmilyte-Nielsen said the sanctions imposed on Russia should not only be continued but also deepened, adding that there is no doubt the measures are "painful" and have "raised the toll" on Russia's war effort.
The Seimas speaker emphasized that Russian citizens will not be allowed to enter the European Union via the borders of the four countries while the conflict in Ukraine continues.
On August 31, the European Union decided to terminate an agreement on the simplified visa regime with Russia. However, the European Commission said EU member countries cannot completely stop issuing Schengen visas to Russian citizens but can decide for themselves whether to issue short-term visas and consider each application on an individual basis.
