Russia temporarily closes border for Italian nationals, foreigners arriving from Italy - govt decree
MOSCOW. March 12 (Interfax) - The Russian authorities have temporarily closed entry into the country for Italian nationals and suspended issuance of visas; the Russian government published the relevant resolution dated March 12 and signed by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin on the official legal information website on Thursday.
"In order to ensure national security and to protect people's health and prevent the spread of the 2019-nCoV (novel coronavirus) infection in the Russian Federation, from 12:00 a.m. Moscow time on March 13, 2020 onwards, the FSB [Federal Security Service] of Russia must temporarily stop accepting nationals of the Italian Republic wishing to enter Russian territory to study or exercise professional activities, or for tourism, transit or private purposes, and prevent them from crossing the Russian state border. Transit across the Russian state border is temporarily banned for foreign nationals and stateless persons arriving from the Italian Republic to enter the Russian Federation with a view to studying or exercising professional activities, or for private purposes, tourism or transit, except for citizens of Eurasian Economic Union member states and aircraft crews, members of any official delegations or individuals with Russian residence permits," the government resolution says.
Starting at 12:00 a.m. on March 13, the Russian Interior Ministry and its territorial agencies must suspend the receipt of any documents, execution and issuance of any invitations for entry into Russia for private purposes, study or exercising professional activities to any citizens of the Italian Republic, and stop the issuance of permits for inviting and employing foreign workers and equally the issuance of work permits to Italian citizens applying from outside of Russia.
The Russian government has also stopped the receipt of documents, the execution and issuance of invitations to Russia to foreign citizens and stateless persons staying or residing in the Italian Republic, the issuance of permits for inviting and employing foreign workers and equally work permits to the previously mentioned individuals.
The Russian Foreign Ministry must "notify the Italian side of the said measures, emphasizing that those are dictated by special circumstances and are effectively temporary," according to the government decree.
