EU COUNCIL ENDORSED THE SIGNING OF VISA REGIME FACILITATION AND READMISSION AGREEMENTS WITH THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
On 3 October EU Foreign Ministers, who met in Luxembourg, endorsed the signing of visa regime facilitation and readmission agreements with the Russian Federation.
Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Antanas Valionis, who took part in the EU General Affairs and External Relations Council meeting, emphasised that current bilateral agreements with Russia provide Lithuanian and Polish citizens more favourable conditions for travelling to the Kaliningrad region than the joint EU-Russia visa regime facilitation agreement.
“It is important to retain the mutual travel facilitations provided in current agreements,” Antanas Valionis said at the meeting.
European Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy Benita Ferrero-Waldner supported Lithuanian Foreign Minister’s opinion.
European Commission and Austria taking over the EU presidency in 2006 undertook to find a way to settle the issue before EU-Russia agreements come into force.
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