Ministry of Foreign Affairs of South Ossetia reacted to the decision of the European Parliament to ban visas for Russian citizens who received passports in the territories of new Russian regions, as well as in the Crimea, Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
"The decision of the European Parliament to ban visas for citizens of the Russian Federation who have received passports in the territories of new Russian regions, as well as in the Republic of Crimea, the Republic of Abkhazia and the Republic of South Ossetia, is regarded as another unfriendly attack by the countries of the European Union, a gross violation of the fundamental principles of European democracy and, according to essentially, it is open discrimination against Russian citizens living in these territories," the Foreign Ministry said.
It should be reminded that the European Parliament approved on Thursday an agreement with the EU Council on the non-recognition of passports issued in the former Ukrainian regions, as well as in Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
"The European Parliament undertakes to do everything in its power to continue to put pressure on Russia by legal and political means," said Juan Fernando Lopez Aguilar, MEP from Spain, the Parliament's rapporteur on this issue.
The decision was approved by 531 votes "for", 7 deputies were "against", 34 abstained.
