"Restricting the travel of Russian citizens for political reasons will be another step towards aggravating the confrontation in bilateral relations. If the relevant plans are implemented, the Russian side reserves the right to take retaliatory measures," Zakharova said in a statement.
A possible suspension of the issuance of visas by Finland to Russian citizens would be an openly discriminatory political measure, Zakharova said.
She also stressed that this kind of "discussion is taking place in a country known for its claims to the leading role in promoting international cooperation in the field of ensuring rights and freedoms."
Zakharova added that Finnish lawmakers' initiative to suspend the issuance of visas is aimed at punishing Russian citizens and has nothing to do with security issues.
"Finnish politicians make little secret of the fact that the main motive behind their initiative is a fruitless attempt to punish Russia and its citizens more severely. The initiators of the suspension do not recall any threats to the security of Finland or the health of its citizens," the spokeswoman said.
She expressed concerns that such actions will "consequently lead to the return of dividing lines in Europe and increase tensions as a result," calling this decision "a membership fee to NATO."