Russia Announces Visas for Citizens of Montenegro in Reciprocal Move
Montenegro announced in July that it would end visa-free access for citizens of Russia, Belarus, China, Saudi Arabia and Turkey to align with EU standards.
In a reciprocal move, Russia has announced that it will now require visas for Montenegro's citizens, following Podgorica's decision to end its visa-free travel agreement with Moscow. This comes as Montenegro seeks to join the EU by 2028. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova confirmed that the Montenegrin foreign ministry informed Moscow of its intent to terminate the 2008 mutual travel agreement on September 28.
As of November 1, Montenegrin citizens will need visas to enter and stay in Russia, and vice versa. Zakharova argued that this decision would negatively impact Russian tourism, local businesses, and Montenegro's investment climate. Montenegro had previously offered visa-free access to Russian citizens for up to 30 days and had absorbed a significant number of Russian emigrants since the start of the Ukraine invasion.
Two-thirds of registered Russian residents reportedly left Montenegro in anticipation of the new visa rules. Zakharova warned that EU accession would require Balkan nations to adopt an anti-Russian approach, which she claimed goes against their national interests. Russian-Montenegrin relations have been tense since 2016, with Podgorica accusing Russia of plotting a failed coup with Serbian ultranationalists, a claim denied by the Kremlin.
The strain on ties continued after Montenegro joined NATO in 2017 and aligned with EU sanctions against Russia.
Written by urgent.news from The Moscow Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
