The foreign ministers of the Baltic states reached a consensus on the issue concerning the implementation of the entry ban for Russian citizens with Schengen visas. Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu Urmas Reinsalu is an Estonian politician. assessed the process as "benevolent and hardworking." Reinsalu adds that the agreement is not international but a common understanding of how to serve. The three countries propose their idea to their governments which in Estonia is happening today in the Governments session. He says that the governments must come to their conclusions; however, he shows hope that other European countries will follow their lead. Reinsalu also hopes the agreement will take effect in the second half of September.
The Baltic states plan to ban all Russian tourist visas, but the Nordics are not joining the move due to uncertainty over its legality, EUobserver reported. Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania announced the ban yesterday at the meeting of foreign ministers of the Baltic and Nordic countries in Lithuania. Finland decided to wait until the EU Commission has given legal advice on the visa ban plan before taking further steps.
Denmark, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden also refrain from joining the agreement, despite agreeing with the Baltic states' positions. "We are waiting for the European Commission's instructions on handling the entire Schengen area - can the Schengen principles actually be canceled? It is still unclear. This is a legal problem for us," said the Finnish foreign minister, Pekka Haavisto.
Other EU capitals approved the Baltic plan when it was proposed at informal talks in Prague last week, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said.
The EU Commission did not immediately answer EUobserver's question about whether the Baltic states' measures align with their Schengen obligations.