Compared to the previous one, the first such list published six months ago, the changes are small: East Jerusalem, which is under the administration of the Palestinian Authority, and Northern Cyprus, controlled by the Turkish authorities, have been added. According to Oleg Naumov, chairman of the Russian State Duma subcommittee on protecting the rights of Russian citizens abroad, Jerusalem was included in the list because war had started there, and Northern Cyprus because Russia has no diplomatic relations with that territory and a Russian tourist would have nowhere to turn in case of trouble. Although six months ago Russia also had no diplomatic relations with it, the territory was not included in the previous list. "That issue was simply overlooked then," Anastasia Bulgakova, Naumov's press secretary, explained to a Gazeta.Ru correspondent.
According to Russian parliamentarians, the main criterion for compiling the list was by no means "political nuances of relations with these states." "The list includes countries where there is a high threat of terrorist attacks, kidnappings, and where staying poses a real threat to life," Naumov explained. Countries not on this list are considered safe.
As Anastasia Bulgakova told Gazeta.Ru, the list is not legally binding; it is just a recommendation. "That means no one will forbid you from traveling to any country at your own risk," Bulgakova said. "Russia still bears responsibility for its citizens wherever they are."
As for the "unstable" CIS countries (for example, Tajikistan), they are not included in this list. According to Bulgakova, many Russians have relatives living in these countries of the former union. Therefore, the State Duma believes it would be unethical to put them on a blacklist.
The list will now be updated every six months, and its authors promise to inform the public about all changes.
In Ukraine, a similar list of countries and regions not recommended for visits by its citizens has never been prepared. But, as the editorial office was assured by the Consular Service Department of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, in the event of a military conflict, natural disaster, emergency, etc., in any country, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry always warns Ukrainian citizens against traveling to such countries through the media.
_