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Lavrov: EU position on visa issue "indecent"

Photo: aebrus.ru

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says the position of the European Union is “indecent” when it comes to negotiations on visa-free travel.

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In a meeting with representatives of the European Association of Businesses (AEB) the Russian foreign minister underlined that Russia continues to work for the quick introduction of a visa-free travel regime with the EU. However, he admitted that the process proceeds too slowly.

In the Russia-EU Summit in Rostov-on-Don Summit in June, the Russian side handed over a concrete proposal on the introduction of visa-free travel. However, the EU side has been reluctant to respond to the proposal. Not then, not now three months later, has Brussels shown any interest in the visa issue, newspaper Kommersant reports.

The current visa regime is an anachronism, which is complicating our relations and their development”, Lavrov stressed. He describes the fears of uncontrolled migration from Russia into the EU as “unjustified” and calls the position of the union as “indecent”.

Read also: Merkel: long way towards visa-free travel

In the meeting with the Business Association, Lavrov also said that an action plan on Russian modernization will be adopted by both parts before the end of the year. He also confirmed that negotiations over a new basis agreement, which is to regulate relations “for the next 10-20 or perhaps even more years” is proceeding.

Read also: Visa-free border travel: First Poland – then Norway?

The next Russia-EU summit is due in Brussels in December.