Finnish Foreign Ministry To Reduce Staff In Charge Of Processing Russian Visa Applications

Faizan Hashmi Published October 14, 2022 | 08:17 PM

The Finnish Foreign Ministry said on Friday it began negotiations at its service center for entry permits in Kouvola looking to reduce staff who process visa applications from mostly Russian citizens

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 14th October, 2022) The Finnish Foreign Ministry said on Friday it began negotiations at its service center for entry permits in Kouvola looking to reduce staff who process visa applications from mostly Russian citizens.

"The grounds for the negotiations are production-related. The number of visa applications received by Finland has been decreasing for a longer period due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and it has continued to decline significantly since the Government adopted its resolution restricting tourism from Russia to Finland on September 29, 2022," the message read.

The ministry also said that it would begin preparations for talks on Friday, with the negotiations scheduled to start on October 31.

It did not provide any details as to how many officials will be reduced as result of the process.

On September 6, the EU adopted a proposal to fully suspend a visa facilitation agreement with Russia. The measure went into effect on September 12. The decision complicated visa application process for the Russian citizens and imposed more restrictions for multiple entry visas.

Poland, Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania agreed to put restrictions starting September 19 on Russians trying to enter their countries.

In late September, Finland also closed its borders for Russians with Schengen tourist visas, becoming the latest European country bordering Russia to do so.