Prague is scheduled to introduce visa requirements for Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus in three months, and not from February 1, as the Czech government previously decided. During this time, Czech representations should explain to citizens of the affected countries the reasons for its canceling its visa-free regime. Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry has expressed dissatisfaction with Prague’s policies and sent a note to the Czech Republic’s foreign policy institution, saying that Kyiv will also introduce visas for Czechs. The embassy of the Czech Republic in Ukraine told The Day it had not yet received any reply to this note from the Czech government. According to the Czech Minister of Foreign Affairs Jan Kavan, visa requirements will also be imposed on Moldova, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Georgia.
COMMENT
That the Czech Republic was preparing to impose visa requirements on us in the immediate future is not news. But are we afraid to be invaded by illegal Czech immigrants? No, on the contrary, it is our illegal job seekers who continue to flood the Czech Republic en masse, thus arousing anti-Ukrainian sentiments there. Are we afraid of weapons and drug smuggling? As far as I recall, they are being smuggled from us to them, not vice versa. Are we afraid of Czech organized crime? Again, it is our citizens who constantly feature in Czech police reports.
Perhaps our visa barrier against the Czechs should become one more proof of Kyiv’s loyalty to the idea of European integration. Then this might be followed by making stricter visa reguirements on citizens of the European Union, the US, Canada, and so on. Since they don’t let us in, we won’t let them in, either! Or shall we simply blacklist these countries and grant visa exclusively to diplomats? Or let us completely clear away all obstacles for Third World and CIS citizens to enter Ukraine.
I am convinced that our Ministry of Foreign Affairs is very well aware of the reasons why the Czech Republic is forced to introduce visas for Ukrainians and, hence, the logic of Prague’s actions. This ministry also cannot help but understand that by putting up a visa barrier for the Czechs we will lose out in both short and long term by creating in Europe the image of Ukraine as a closed and tourist-unfriendly country.
