ROME, June 30. /TASS/. Italy does not support the proposed ban on issuing tourist visas to Russian citizens hoping to enter the EU zone, an Italian diplomatic source told TASS.

"The facts speak for themselves," the source said, commenting on data showing that Italy is the biggest EU issuer of tourist visas to Russians.

Earlier, a diplomatic source in Brussels told TASS that the European Commission is preparing to tighten the EU's visa policy this fall by introducing new criteria meant to prohibit citizens of Russia, Belarus, and Iran from entering the EU as a tourist. The European Commission intends to test this mechanism by banning participants of the special military operation from entering the EU, which is included in the 21st sanctions package against Russia.

In early May, the European statistical agency Eurostat reported that EU countries issued 620,000 visas to Russians in 2025, which is 10.2% more than in 2024 and is a record since the start of the special military operation.