MOSCOW, September 9. /TASS/. Russia should stay open for humanitarian, youth and educational exchanges with all countries and its response visa restrictions should apply only to concrete individuals who are responsible to the European Union’s and NATO’s policy, a senior Russian lawmaker said on Friday.

"I would only welcome if our final decision implied certain restrictions against only those who are responsible for the corresponding policy in the European Union and NATO. This is what we should speak about and do. But these decisions should not affect people who have nothing to do with these erroneous decisions and who are ready to visit our country to learn better what is going on here. And after all, who may share the positions we continue to advocate in the present-day world and think the only right ones," Konstantin Kosachev, deputy speaker of Russia’s Federation Council, or upper parliament house, said in an interview with the Rossiya-24 television channel.

He stressed that Russia should stay open for humanitarian, youth, educational and sports exchanges. "I think that what has not been affected by the spasms of political differences should stay beyond this regulation," he noted.

According to the lawmaker, Russia’s opponents are closing their doors to Russia not via direct bans, "but through absolutely false propaganda, which is picturing Russia as an extremely unpredictable and dangerous country, unadvisable for any visits."

"It may look like a paradox, but I think that we shouldn’t follow this path. We a through with it and have left it in the past," he added.

On September 6, the European Commission approved the proposal on the complete termination of the agreement on simplified visa issuance procedures with Russia. Brussels hopes this step will be approved by the European Council and will be enforced until September 12. It is supposed that the visa price and issuance terms will be considerably extended and they will hardly ever be issued for tourist purposes. The European Commission also calls on EU countries to check "loyalty" of those applying for visas.