MOSCOW, April 23. The EU is not ruling out the possibility
of signing an interim agreement with Russia on a visa-free travel regime,
said European Commission President Romano Prodi in a press conference in
Moscow yesterday.
Television news program Vesti reported that Prody emphasized that 'it
is a complicated question but the sooner we make it a goal the sooner
we could conclude an interim agreement which would have its place in deciding
the larger problem.'
He added that talks on the transition to a visa-free travel regime between
the EU and Russia should begin later this year. The European Commission
president emphasized that the transition to a visa-free regime in the
long term would give 'practical confirmation of the devotion of both sides
to the creation of a Europe without borders.' 'For this, we need time,
and we need to strengthen mutual trust,' he said.
Prody added that in order to move in the direction of a Europe without
borders it would be necessary to conclude talks this year on an agreement
regarding the return of illegal immigrants.
See also:
Russia-EU
relations
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