EU Diplomacy Chief Josep Borrell and the European Commission presented a proposal for a 12th package of sanctions against Russia on 15 November. Vienna has been dubbed the „spy capital” of Europe due to its peculiar local legislation and Russian embassy staff. EU governments have expelled hundreds of Russian diplomats since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, accusing them of being intelligence agents. Czechia expelled over 70 Russians last year.
However, countries still issue visas to Russian diplomats, granting them access to the Schengen area and the right to travel freely in 24 of the 27 EU member states, as well as Switzerland, Norway, and Iceland. Prague issued a document outlining ideas to prevent this as part of negotiations on the 12th package of EU sanctions against Russia. Czechia has also proposed requiring Russian diplomats to obtain visas and residence permits that only allow travel within the host country, not the rest of the Schengen area. The proposal adds that the EU should accept only biometric passports, as they are harder to forge.
CENTRAL EASTERN EUROPE NEWS
Travel Restrictions Could Tighten For Russian Diplomats
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