MOSCOW, September 12. /TASS/. Moscow will not hasten its response to visa restrictions imposed by the European Union on Russian citizens, the country’s Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko told reporters on Monday.
"There is no rush here. The fact is that the EU has done another stupid thing. In fact, they are trying in some way to segregate Russian society into ‘right’ and ‘wrong’. They are using terms in their documents that should have long ago become a thing of the past. Let's see how this will affect relations and contacts between people," he said, answering a question from TASS on the introduction of countermeasures to EU visa restrictions.
On September 6, the European Commission approved a proposal to completely suspend the visa facilitation agreement with Russia. Brussels expects that this decision will be approved by the EU Council and will come into force by September 12. Presumably, the cost of visas and terms of their registration will significantly increase, and issuing [visas] for tourist purposes will be last on the list to be done. The EC also calls on the EU countries to check the "trustworthiness" of those wishing to obtain visas.