The head of the European People's Party, Manfred Weber, has called for the Hungarian decision to ease visa restrictions for Russians and Belarusians to be discussed at the EU leaders' summit in October.
According to Yevropeiska Pravda, this is stated in Weber's letter to the head of the European Council Charles Michel, the text of which was published by the Financial Times.
Weber said that Hungary's move would allow unverified Russians to travel freely across most of the EU.
This month, Hungary published details of a new fast-track visa system for citizens of eight countries, including Russia and Belarus, who will be able to enter Hungary without security checks or other restrictions.
Budapest has said that many of them will build a nuclear power plant using Russian technology.
But Weber believes that the need for a new visa system in Hungary is “questionable.” The politician warned that it could “create serious loopholes for espionage activities and potentially allow large numbers of Russians to enter Hungary with minimal oversight, posing a serious risk to national security.”
“Such a policy could also make it easier for Russians to travel through the Schengen area, circumventing restrictions imposed by EU law,” Weber warned.
The letter calls on EU leaders to “take the strongest possible measures to immediately protect the integrity of the Schengen area, limit the security risk that has already arisen and prevent similar initiatives by Member States in the future.”
Author - Dmitriy Levchenko, 30/07/2024