NEWS

Deal on Visa Laws Could Come in May

Reuters

MOSCOW — Russia and the European Union expect to sign a long-awaited deal on easing visa regulations by the end of May, officials from both sides said Wednesday.

EU and Russian officials at a meeting in Moscow said the agreement on so-called visa facilitation would be signed before or during an EU-Russia summit planned for May 25 in Sochi.

The agreement is unlikely to scrap visas between Russia and the EU entirely but it should simplify the complex and costly procedures for getting them.

They said a deal on readmission of migrants should be signed at the same time. That deal relates to assurances Brussels has sought from Russia that it will take back illegal immigrants deported from EU states.

“Our intention is to sign the two agreements no later than the EU-Russia summit in May,” EU Justice Commissioner Franco Frattini said. “Our intention is that the two agreements will enter into force by the end of the year.”

“Our final goal is a visa free regime between Russia and the European Union, but it is a long term goal,” Frattini said.

Viktor Ivanov, an aide to President Vladimir Putin, said Moscow was also ready to sign a deal by May 25. “It will be pretty helpful in terms of making it easier for the peoples of our countries to cross borders,” he said.

EU and Russian officials had anticipated signing the visa facilitation and readmission deals at a summit in London last September, but that did not materialize.

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