No More Russia-EU Visas in a Few Years

Kommersant. Russia and the European Union are ready to cancel visa procedures in two or three years, stated chairman of the Russian State Duma Foreign Affairs Committee Konstantin Kosachev, speaking on closed circuit television at RIA Novosti information agency. “Russia and the EU are ready, so that, in the nearest time, say, in two or three years, to convert to a complete cancellation of the visa procedure,” Kosachev said.

Kosachev noted that the cancellation of visas requires the equivalent from Russia. In particular, it requires signing the necessary agreements on readmission with “third states.” Kosachev did not specify what states he was referring to, but said that such negotiations are currently underway with more than ten countries.

At the Russia-EU summit in Khanty-Mansiisk at the end of June, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev suggested writing down the specific steps and deadlines for moving toward cancelling visa procedures. Speaking at a press conference at the end of the summit, Medvedev said that a number of issues in relations between Russia and the EU had been examined, especially the course of implementation of the “road map” toward the formation of four general spaces. The Russian president noted that as part of the road map to domestic security, New perspectives for easing the visa procedure” were opening up.

“I think that today the most important thing for us is to write down the specific steps and deadlines for moving toward the final goal – the visa-free character of trip of Russian and European citizens,” Medvedev said.