17 June 2004 04:18
Czech-Russian visa relations hamper trade - Masopust
ST.PETERSBURG, June 17 (CTK) - Visa relations between the Czech Republic and Russia basically have no impact on
business activities on both sides but should nonetheless be simplified, some Czech participants in an international
economic forum which ends in St.Petersburg today agreed.
The visa-free regime was abolished by the Czech side in 2000 on the basis of the government's decision on the
harmonisation of the Czech Republic's visa policies with the European Union.
Russia has perceived this development as building a "visa wall" in Europe, similar to the "Berlin
wall" from the time of the bi-polar world, as well as building new dividing lines in Europe.
Czech Senate chairman Petr Pithart said in St.Petersburg that he was against "erecting obstacles and walls"
between the eastern and western parts of Europe. He said, however, that in his view, visas have no impact on the
development of Czech-Russian relations and their mutual economic activities.
"I still do not think that this situation will last a long time. This is a measure to conform with the European
Union's rules, but it is also known that there are countries within the EU which have agreed on a different regime
with the Russian Federation," Pithart said.
Director of the Czech Chamber of Economic Relations with the SIS countries, Frantisek Masopust, does not share this
view.
"There are problems with visas. From the beginning, they were not as great as they are now, when Czech
companies' efforts to penetrate the Russian market have intensified," Masopust, who as the proconsul at the
Czech embassy in Russia introduced visas several years ago, said.
He said that Czech businessmen working in Russia are at a disadvantage compared to Czech businessmen working in
Germany, for instance, in that that they cannot solve urgent problems immediately. They need visas to leave the country
to solve their problems. Visas to Russia are issued on the basis of a filled application and an invitation letter from
Russia.
"All this takes time. Issuing visa itself also lasts several days. Contracts are cancelled or sanctions are
imposed due to this procedure," Masopust said.
Russians interested in obtaining Czech visas experience even greater problems than Czechs at the Russian
embassies.
"The Czech embassies in Russia and the SIS countries are unable to cope with the situation. While tens or
hundreds of people are standing in line in front of the Russian embassy in Prague there are hundreds and thousands of
them standing outside of Czech consulates in Russia," Masopust said.
The Czech Consulate in Moscow is able to review daily between 500 to 600 visa applications while the demand is
double, he said.
Masopust stated, however, that he was not pushing for the complete abolition of visa requirements.
"This would be absurd. But we will support reconsidering the current form and simplification of the current visa
requirements mainly for entrepreneurs and people who go to Russia on business trips," he said.
Russia has signed an agreement on the simplification of visa requirements with Germany. According to Masopust, the
German- Russian example could serve a model for the Czech Republic.
The Czech Foreign Ministry says, however, that Czech national regime is still simpler and more liberal than the
simplified German regime.
In addition, the Czech Republic supports a communautaire approach and signing a visa agreement between Russia and the
European Union which would be binding for all EU member countries.
Trade and Industry Minister Milan Urban also considers visa requirement a "certain problem."
"In general, I am not a supporter of any regulations as each regulation, including in the visa area, restrict
business activity. However, this is not only the Czech Republic's matter but mainly the European Union
matter," Urban told CTK, adding that the Czech government was supported joint talks between the EU and the Russian
Federation.
The Czech Republic is prepared to simplify the visa regime, he said.
Chairman of the opposition Civic Democrats-ODS Mirek Topolanek, who shortly attended the economic forum in
St.Petersburg, also disagrees with the visa requirements between the Czech Republic and Russia.
"Nonetheless, the European regulations are valid for us today and we will seek in Europe to see to it that
business between the Russian Federation and the EU will only improve," he said.
The visa problems were not separately discussed at the forum.
vv/mr/thr
[Czech News Agency] |
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