Interfax: Russia-EU summit may become a “suitable moment” for progress on visas – Russian envoy

BRUSSELS. Jan 14 (Interfax) – A Russia-European Union summit, due to open in Brussels on January 28, could be a “suitable moment” to sign an agreement to further simplify visa rules, while the launch of talks on visa-free travel could send a favorable signal for further promoting the sides’ strategic partnership, Russia’s envoy to the EU Vladimir Chizhov said.

“The summit’s success or lack of it is not determined by the number of signed documents and agreed upon statements. A press conference will obviously be held, and the participants in the summit will assess its results,” he said at the European Policy Center in Brussels on Monday.

“Despite certain ongoing difficulties, relations between Russia and the EU have significant untapped potential. We expect the upcoming 32nd summit of Russia and the EU to help make further progress on a whole number of important dossiers, as well as help promote the existing strategic partnership, enhance mutual confidence building measures and secure a greater degree of certainty concerning our path,” Chizhov said.

“We ought to continue and complete our negotiations on a new fundamental agreement, thus modernizing the legal framework of the Russia-EU strategic partnership,” he said.

“Given the presence of political will”, the next official round of talks on the sides’ new cooperation and partnership agreement should be held at the beginning of 2014, he said.

The Russia-EU summit is “a suitable moment to sign an agreement to further simplify the existing visa regime,” Chizhov said.

“The implementation of the “common steps”, agreed upon in 2011, toward visa-free travel has already been completed, and a decision to launch negotiations on a full-fledged document to cancel visa requirements for brief trips could become a good signal,” he said.