Russia has announced reciprocal measures against Montenegro after Podgorica decided to introduce a visa requirement for Russian citizens starting on 1 November.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said that, in response to the decision, Montenegrin citizens would also have to obtain visas to travel to Russia.
“Consequently, citizens of Montenegro will also need visas to travel to Russia,” Zakharova said.
She claimed that Podgorica’s decision undermines Montenegro’s own interests and that years of cooperation between the two countries are being sacrificed in the name of European integration, Sputnik reports.
According to Zakharova, introducing the visa requirement will lead to a decline in Russian tourist numbers, harm Montenegrin businesses and negatively affect the investment climate.
“It is absurd for the Montenegrin authorities to expect Brussels to compensate them for the inevitable losses,” she said.
In September, Montenegro’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed Russia that visas for Russian citizens would be introduced from 1 November. Podgorica justified the decision by citing the need to meet mandatory requirements in the country’s European Union accession process.
