Finland closes its borders to most Russian tourists

Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto announced Thursday that Finland will largely close its borders to Russian tourists, that it will implement stricter visa regulations for Russian travelers and that these regulations will come into effect at midnight.

Haavisto said the government moved faster after gas leaks discovered in pipelines on the Baltic Sea, believed to be sabotage and part of Moscow's plans to annex four regions of Ukraine after referendums that were widely dismissed as illegal.

Finnish radio station Y to E said the stricter border rules announced by Helsinki did not amount to a complete ban on entry to the country.

She explained that some exceptions will apply so that Russians can continue to come to Finland to meet their close family members, work or receive medical care, for example.

The main difference is that incoming Russians will no longer be able to enter Finland as tourists or travel to other Schengen countries for tourism.

Finnish news agency STT said the move is expected to reduce the number of Russians crossing the border by 30% to 50%.

It is noteworthy that Finland's border with Russia extends for about 1,340 km, making it the longest among all the countries of the European Union.

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