The decision was made due to the need to respond urgently to the sanctions adopted by the European Union (EU), and the implementation of the measure suspends clauses of the simplified visa issuance agreements with the European Union, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.

Some provisions in the Agreement between the EU and Russia on the facilitation of the issuance of visas to citizens of May 25, 2006, were eliminated.

In particular, the simplified procedures for submitting documents on the purpose of the trip and multiple entry visas for one year for official delegations and journalists were abolished.

Moscow also suspended multiple entry visas for five years for members of national and regional governments, parliaments and courts.

The decree also excludes the exemption of visa fees for official delegations and members of Governments and Parliaments, as well as visa-free entry for holders of diplomatic passports.

Russian authorities approved a group of political, economic and financial provisions in recent weeks to deal with the more than 6,300 measures against Russia, mostly after the start of the military operation in Ukraine.

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