Announcement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the results of the Gymnich
During yesterday's Gymnich, the majority of member states, including Cyprus, opposed the complete abolition / ban of issuing visas to Russian citizens.
Instead, there was consensus in principle for the suspension of the existing agreement with Russia for the facilitation of visa issuance to Russian citizens (Visa Facilitation Agreement).
This does not imply a ban on issuing visas. However, it is expected to make the visa process more demanding.
EU member states continue to retain the right to review visa applications from Russian citizens, which they can of course approve or reject.
Discussions within the relevant EU institutions are expected to begin in the near future to examine how to implement the decision.