Alternate Foreign Minister Nikos Xydakis today chaired a consular meeting at the our embassy in Moscow, with the participation of the Greek Ambassador and Consuls General in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Novorossiysk. At the meetings conclusion, he stated the following:
“I am here today to make sure that we have resolved the problems faced by our Moscow Consulate in issuing visas. It wasn’t simple. I was informed of the increased needs in December. Unprecedented action needed to be taken. A plan was made and systematically implemented, bringing results. In the space of 120 days, organizational and technical improvements were carried out; improvements that should have been started two years earlier. And we haven’t finished yet. There are other steps that will be taken, so that we can handle similar issues in the future.
Today, the Consulate is in a position to issue and deliver, on a daily basis, more visas to Russian tourists than are being requested. And continuing to bolster the Consulate, we will endeavor to make this the case through to the end of the summer. This May, our three consular missions in Russia issued over 85,000 visas, for a 50% increase over the same month last year. Moreover, on the occasion of “Greece Russia Year 2016,” and bearing in mind what is by general admission the excellent use of these visas by Russian citizens, we are capitalizing on the potential for granting long-term (three- or five-year) visas in cases where this is provided for by the Schengen code.
The goal of meeting the demand for visas was not simply a matter of the proper functioning of a service. It was a national goal and national need, at a time when the economy and the labor and manufacturing sectors are seeking even the smallest drop of liquidity.
The well-founded aspiration to increase tourist flows from Russia is already being realized. Every day, more Russian citizens – however many so desire – can visit Greece in comfort and security to enjoy their vacation and become acquainted with the land and people they love so much.”
May 31, 2016