The European Union expects to ensure equal treatment for citizens of the EU and Russia in matters of issuing visas, said the ambassador of the association to the Russian Federation Markus Ederer in an interview published on Saturday, August 8.
“Within the framework of the current EU-Russia agreement on facilitating the issuance of visas, regular consultations are held to discuss issues related to the implementation of the agreement. Thus, the EU advocates that the citizens of the EU and Russia receive equal treatment, ”he said.
The ambassador noted that at the moment 80% of visas issued to Russians are multiple-entry. At the same time, the share of multiple-entry visas received by EU citizens at Russian consulates is just over 20%.
“I wish there was a balance here,” Ederer said.
The ambassador added that the European Union welcomes the expansion of the electronic visa regime by Russia from pilot regions to the entire country, starting next year.
During the interview, Ederer also commented on the possibility of obtaining a Schengen visa for Crimeans. According to him, residents of Crimea will not be able to obtain a Schengen visa with Russian-issued passports. To obtain a document, residents of the republic must apply for a visa at the consulates of the EU countries located in Ukraine, and not in Russia.