MOSCOW, July 16 the absence of mechanisms to influence the participation of Russians and Belarusians in international competitions held on the territory of the country.
Earlier, the organizers of the Challenger series tournament in the Polish village of Kozerki recommended that Russians and Belarusians not apply for the tennis tournament, as they would not be allowed to participate.
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“International sports federations are independent and autonomous organizations, therefore the Ministry of Sports and Tourism has no legal rights to influence the personnel of sports competitions organized by such federations,” Przeglad Sportowy, the Polish Ministry of Sports and Tourism, said in a statement.
The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) tournament will be held in Warsaw on July 24-30, Russians Vera Zvonareva and Margarita Betova, as well as Belarusian Alexandra Sosnovich, are registered for it. Russian and Belarusian tennis players are allowed to participate in Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and WTA tournaments in a neutral status in all countries.
The EU Foreign Ministers at an informal meeting in Prague on September 1 agreed to suspend the visa facilitation agreement between Russia and the EU, which will make obtaining them longer, more difficult and more expensive. An agreement was also reached that countries bordering Russia can restrict the entry of Russian citizens at the national level. After that, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia agreed to jointly impose travel restrictions on Russian citizens whose purpose of visiting the EU is tourism, business, sports or culture. Exceptions were made for truck drivers, diplomats, and those crossing the border for humanitarian reasons, including dissidents.