PRAGUE (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 23rd March, 2023) The Czech government on Wednesday decided to extend until March 31, 2024 the ban on issuing visas, as well as long-term residence permits to citizens of Russia and Belarus, adopted after the start of Russia's special military operation in Ukraine, Czech Radio reported, citing the government's press service.
The government of the Czech Republic approved the Foreign Ministry's proposal to extend the ban on issuing visas, as well as long-term residence permits to Russian and Belarusian citizens, except for humanitarian cases, according to the report.
It said applications for Czech residence permits, submitted by Russian and Belarusian citizens to the Czech embassy, are considered inadmissible in accordance with the current legislation. The new ban will also apply to those citizens of Russia and Belarus who are citizens of other states as well.
Relations between Belarus and Western countries deteriorated sharply after the presidential elections in 2020 in Belarus that provoked mass unauthorized protests, which, among other things, were suppressed by law enforcement officers with special equipment. The West gradually imposed sanctions on Belarusian officials and enterprises, accusing Minsk of election and human rights violations. The sanctions were expanded due to Minsk's support for Russia's military operation in Ukraine, which began on February 24, 2022.
The West stepped up sanctions pressure on Russia after the start of Moscow's operation in Ukraine; many European companies have left the Russian market. Since February 2022, the EU has imposed ten packages of sanctions against Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the policy of containing and weakening Russia is the West's long-term strategy, and the restrictions have affected the entire global economy. According to him, the main goal of the West is to make the lives of millions of people worse.
