EU Will Not Be Pressured Into Visa Deal, Envoy Says
Published: October 9, 2013 (Issue # 1781)
MOSCOW
— Russia and the European Union are pushing ahead towards an agreement
on visa-free travel but the negotiations are complex and cannot be
rushed, the recently appointed EU envoy to Russia said.
“It’s
good to have ambitious partners, but for us the main thing is not
the time-frame. We must make fully considered decisions and not throw
words to the wind, promising fast results,” said Vugaudas Usackas in an
interview with Kommersant published Tuesday, Interfax reported.
The protection of human rights in Russia is of “crucial importance”
to the European parliament and the parliaments of member states, who
will decide whether to ratify the agreement, Usackas added.
Russian
officials have pushed for an agreement to be reached in time for the
2014 Olympics in Sochi, with the Foreign Ministry threatening
‘retaliation’ should the deal not be accomplished by Russia’s deadline.
Negotiations for simplified visa regulations also continue, despite
delays following Moscow’s eleventh hour request to institute visa-free
travel for holders of service passports, a move which has not gone down
well with European lawmakers.
The new
regulations would offer long-term, multiple-entry visas
to businesspeople, NGO workers, scientists, students and journalists,
encouraging collaboration across borders.
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