Kyiv and Moscow must stick to the principle of transparency in the matter of curbing objectionable persons' entry into their territory, Ukraine's Ambassador to Russia Kostiantyn Hryschenko said.
Asked in Kharkiv on Tuesday to comment on the problem of the
so-called black lists, which barred some of the Ukrainian and Russian
politicians from entering the neighboring country, Hryschenko said that
this problem must be tackled in a quiet dialogue, without adding
politics to it and avoiding noisy media campaigns.
“At least 11 Russian agencies have the right to bar foreign citizens
from entering Russia without explaining reasons, or stating the
deadline for the ban, he said.
Hryschenko also said that Ukraine has no such black lists at all.
“If anyone is not allowed to enter, all are publicly informed, with the
statement of the duration of the ban and the reasons for it,” he said.
The Ukrainian ambassador expressed regret that there is no openness
on the Russian side. “Transparency must be ensured” in dealing with
this issue, he said.
“Naturally, we should work to ensure that our mutual exchanges at
all levels be open but we also must see that we mutually respect the
basic values all of us must be guided by,” Hryschenko said.
