Citizens of Montenegro must obtain a visa to enter Russia - Diplomat

Maria Zakharova said that this decision was made in connection with the cancellation of the visa-free regime for Russians.

Moscow, October 14. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said citizens of Montenegro must obtain a visa to enter Russia due to Podgorica's decision to cancel the visa-free regime for Russian citizens.

Commenting on the country's visa regime for Russians from November 1, the diplomat told Izvestia: "As a result, Montenegrin citizens must also obtain a visa to travel to Russia. This decision of Podgorica clearly harms the interests of Montenegro."

According to this diplomat, "in pursuit of European ideals, the long-standing achievements in Russian-Montenegro relations are systematically undermined, and insufficient attention is paid to the economic consequences of such actions." He noted that Podgorica's new measures will reduce tourist traffic from Russia, harm Montenegrin businesses and worsen the investment climate in the country. At the same time, however, it is pointless to count on compensation from Brussels for unavoidable losses for the Montenegrin authorities, Zakharova noted.

According to the spokesman, the EU integration process, which led Montenegro to impose visa conditions on Russians, "no longer means the possibility of maintaining the neutral status of the new members." We hope that the countries of the Western Balkans will observe and analyze these changes in the European Union and clearly understand the consequences of European integration for their national interests and the well-being of their citizens."