-
Hungarian FM: EU to suspend visa facilitation agreement with Russia, no blanket visa ban

The European Union will suspend an agreement with Russia that eases visa issuance but there will not be a blanket visa ban imposed as there is no unanimity on that, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Facebook on Wednesday (August 31).
Szijjarto also announced that Hungary has signed a deal with Russia's Gazprom for additional gas shipments from Sept. 1.
He said Hungary, along with some other member states, opposed a Russian visa ban at a meeting of EU ministers in Prague.
"There won't be a general blanket visa ban imposed for Russian citizens," he said. "Several member states have raised their voice against this, including myself."
He said the agreement that eases visa issuance will be suspended with a qualified majority support. He did not say whether Hungary backed this measure.

Eastern and Nordic countries strongly back a tourism ban, while Germany and France have warned their peers it would be counter-productive, saying ordinary Russians should still be allowed access to the West.
Szijjarto said Gazprom would increase daily additional gas shipments on top of an existing long-term supply deal with Russia to a maximum 5.8 million cubic metres per day from Sept. 1 versus 2.6 million cubic metres per day delivered in August.
Ukrainian FM urges EU to ban Russian tourists
Gazprom started to increase gas supplies to Hungary earlier this month, adding to its previously agreed deliveries via the Turkstream pipeline.
Under a deal signed last year, before the start of the war in neighbouring Ukraine, Hungary received 3.5 billion cubic metres (bcm) of gas per year via Bulgaria and Serbia under its long-term deal with Russia and a further 1 bcm via a pipeline from Austria. The agreement with Gazprom is for 15 years.
Source: anews
You May Also Like
Popular Posts
Caricature
BENEFIT Sponsors BuildHer...
- April 23, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
opinion
Report
ads
Newsletter
Subscribe to our mailing list to get the new updates!