The European Union is discussing the idea of tightening visa requirements for Russian citizens and there will be concrete proposals soon, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said in an interview with CNN, quoted by the Croatian publication "Index", BTA reported.
"This is an idea that is circulating in the European Union. We will soon see concrete proposals," said Plenković in response to a question from CNN host Richard Quest about a possible ban on the entry of Russian tourists as part of a new package of European sanctions.
A few days ago, the European publication "Politico" announced that the EU is preparing to tighten visa requirements for Russian citizens, recalls "Index".
According to Plenković, between 25 and 27 thousand Russian tourists visit Croatia annually.
"Respectively, out of a total of over 21 million tourists who will visit our country this year, they will not represent a significant number for the Croatian tourism sector," he added.
Plenković noted that Croatia can assist EU countries that continue to buy Russian gas. According to him, Slovakia and Hungary continue to cover a large part of their oil needs from Russia and want to continue receiving their supplies despite the EU's efforts to abandon the use of Russian natural resources.
"A few years ago, there were some exceptions" when it came to the sanctions regime for some EU member states, the Croatian Prime Minister pointed out. But "today Croatia can guarantee both Hungary and Slovakia that it can provide them with over 12 million tons of oil" for the needs of their refineries.
According to him, the current moment is appropriate for the pressure that the administration of US President Donald Trump is putting on its Russian customers. According to him, however, it is not only important where the oil comes from, but also what its price is.
"Croatia has a good geographical location and that is why we want to be an energy hub for our neighbors, both when it comes to oil, but also when it comes to liquefied gas, for which we also have a terminal. This would be a long-term investment," Plenković noted. "We have found a niche for our neighbors and support for European energy security, but also for common European security," he added.