Free trade and visa exemptions between the EU and Russia would also benefit the development of Russia’s democracy, according to Stubb. He adds that the EU’s visa policy should not be based on prejudices, Yle reports. Finland is today among the countries issuing most visas to Russians. Only over the last five months, the country’s General Consulate in Sankt Petersburg has issued about 190,000 visas. The total number of visas are this year exepted to increase to more than 600,000.
