Estonia planning to stop Russians with visas issued by other EU member states from entering country

TALLINN. Aug 17 (Interfax) - Estonia is planning to bar Russians with visas issued by other EU member states from entering the country, Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu said.

"Right now, Estonia is working on a decision that would allow prohibiting entry for any holders of visas issued by other EU member states. The Foreign Ministry and the Interior Ministry will prepare next week their potential proposals on how the Estonian border could be closed also to those Russian citizens who have a Schengen visa issued by a country other than Estonia," the ERR website quoted Reinsalu as saying on Wednesday.

On August 11, Estonia decided to introduce visa restrictions, effective from August 18, for Russian citizens with visas issued by Estonia. The decision does not affect any visas issued by other Schengen states.

The decision to bar Russians from entering Estonia on Schengen visas issued by other states is now being formalized and is due to be prepared next week. "It is allowed under European Union law," Reinsalu said, "adding one example is the coronavirus pandemic when Member States closed their own borders to citizens of other countries" and closed the Schengen area.

"The number of Russian citizens that had entered the EU by the end of the first week of August (850,000) is unfortunately growing, which is why we need to be able to take steps," Reinsalu said.