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Lithuania has declared Russian pop star Filip Kirkorov persona non grata for a period of 5 years. The reason is his support for Moscow’s policy in Crimea. Kirkorov is noted to have dual citizenship – Russian and Bulgarian, making him an EU citizen.
On Tuesday, the immigration department, at the request of the foreign ministry, added the singer to the blacklist of foreigners who are not allowed to enter the country, the interior ministry said. The ban goes into effect on January 19.
The Foreign Ministry had previously explained that Kirkorov had given concerts in Crimea, thus supporting Moscow’s policy and the illegal annexation of the peninsula by Ukraine. Kirkorov was planning a tour of Lithuania: Vilnius and Klaipeda in June.
“Performers who support the occupation of Crimea should not be tolerated in any democratic country. We have a firm position on such public figures, so we do not hesitate to add Kirkorov to the list of people who are not welcome in Lithuania. “.announced the Interior Minister, Agne Bilolaite.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called Vilnius’s decision repressive and senseless.
It later emerged that Kirkorov had appealed the ban to court.
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