EU, Russia agree steps towards visa-free travel

Barroso warns that lifting of EU visa requirements for Russians is still years away.

The European Union has agreed to open negotiations with Russia that could lead to the lifting of EU visa requirements for Russian citizens.

At a summit in Brussels today (15 December), Dmitry Medvedev, Russia’s president, and the EU’s top officials agreed that talks should begin on “common steps” to be undertaken by both sides toward a visa-free regime.

“This will further open up Russia to the EU and the EU to Russia,” said Herman Van Rompuy, the president of the European Council. 

José Manuel Barroso, the president of the European Commission, said that “our common goal is to have a visa-free regime between the European Union and Russia” but warned that the lifting of EU visa requirements was still years away.

The summit also touched on Russia’s accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva tomorrow. Van Rompuy described it as a “major achievement” that would boost Russia’s modernisation.

“We have high expectations on the possibilities to move ahead on the new agreement with Russia,” he said. Negotiations on a bilateral agreement have made slow progress but could now gather speed after Russia met all conditions to join the WTO.

Asked about irregularities in a parliamentary election earlier this month and a call by MEPs yesterday for the poll to be re-run, Medvedev said: “I have nothing to comment. This is our election, the European Parliament has no relation to it. The European Parliament should deal with European issues because they [have] got a lot of problems.”

Van Rompuy said that the EU had paid “keen attention to the conduct of the Duma elections” and that “we had an honest discussion on these issues at the summit”.

“Free and fair elections, the respect for human rights and the rule of law, freedom of speech and the right of assembly are key for democracies,” he said. “We are concerned by irregularities and lack of fairness…and by the detention of protesters.”

Van Rompuy welcomed Medvedev’s pledge to investigate reported irregularities.

Medvedev said that a strong Europe was in Russia’s interest. “We are ready to invest the necessary financial means to back the European economy and the eurozone,” he said, but also added: “Eventually only Europe will be able to help Europe.”