YABLOKO’s leader Sergei Mitrokhin is going to get support
to YABLOKO’s initiative on introduction of a visa-free regime
between Russia and the EU from European liberals during the
annual meeting of ELDR Council which will take place in Rome
on March 12-13.
On the threashold of the meeting Russian Vedomosti newspaper
published an article by Finnish Foreign Minister Mr.Alexander
Stubb where he stated the adherence of Finland to the agreement
between the RF and the EU on facilitation of the visa regime
which came into force in summer 2007, as well as called the
Russian authorities “to concretize and accelerate” the work
in this direction. “Finland would welcome a visa-free regime
between the EU and Russia and will spare no effort for hitting
this goal,” Mr. Stubb stated. “I hope that Russian leaders
will have enough insistence and political will so that to
facilitate the necessary reforms,” he wrote.
Sergei Mitrokhin discussed the problem of introduction of
the visa-free regime at the meeting with Ambassador of the
Republic of Finland to the Russian Federation Matti Anttonen
on February 17.
The idea of abolishing visas between Russia and the EU was
proposed by the YABLOKO faction of the Russian parliament
as early as in 1995. In early February 2010 at the meeting
of the ALDE group, the third largest group of the European
Parliament, Sergei Mitrokhin also raised this issue.
See also:
On
Eliminaiton of Visa Barriers Between Russia and EU. Statement
of YABLOKO's Chairman. February 1, 2010
Russia-EU
Relations
European liberals
welcome Russia to the European Union. Press Release. February
3, 2010.
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