EU will suspend agreement with Russia that eases visa issuance - Hungary minister

The European Union will suspend an agreement with Russia that eases visa issuance but there will not be a blanket visa ban imposed as there is no unanimity on that, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Facebook on Wednesday.

Szijjarto also announced that Hungary has signed a deal with Russia's Gazprom (GAZP.MM) for additional gas shipments from Sept. 1.

He said Hungary, along with some other member states, opposed a Russian visa ban at a meeting of EU ministers in Prague.

"There won't be a general blanket visa ban imposed for Russian citizens," he said. "Several member states have raised their voice against this, including myself."

He said the agreement that eases visa issuance will be suspended with a qualified majority support. He did not say whether Hungary backed this measure.

Eastern and Nordic countries strongly back a tourism ban, while Germany and France have warned their peers it would be counter-productive, saying ordinary Russians should still be allowed access to the West.