Time is ripe for Russia - EU visa-free regime - Medvedev

**poiuytrewq0987** · 07-15-2010, 04:21 PM

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Thursday that the time is ripe for scrapping the visa regime between Russia and EU.

"We want a visa free regime," Medvedev said. "We think that we are ready for this; our businesses and people are in favor of it; you could say it is the spirit of the time," Medvedev said at a press-conference on results of the Russian-German interstate consultations.

Medvedev said Russia had sent a draft of the agreement on the visa-free regime to the EU.

"It is clear that this is just a draft and there are difficulties within the EU," he said. "Our partners are discussing it and we hope there will be real progress."

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrived in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg on Wednesday for bilateral talks.

Merkel promised to assist with the possible introduction of visa-free regime between Russia and the EU.

Medvedev said he was confident a decision on a visa-free regime would eventually be reached if there was the necessary "good will and desire."

During the Russia-EU summit from May 31-June 1 in Rostov-on-Don, Russia handed over to the EU a draft agreement on abolishing the visa regime.

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20100715/159824137.html

**The Lawspeaker** · 11-25-2010, 02:46 AM

That's a wonderful development as European brother-nations should not employ a visa wall against each other.

I wonder whether it would be a good idea for the EU and Russia (and Schengen-signatories) to pursue a common visa-policy ? A kind of European visa that would be mandatory for anyone from non-European countries that is travelling to Europe. So if you get turned down in one country you are automatically turned down in all signatory states.

**~~Austin~~** · 11-25-2010, 03:20 AM

Isn't half of Russia's population working in the EU anyways?

**The Lawspeaker** · 11-25-2010, 03:22 AM

Originally Posted by Austin

Isn't half of Russia's population working in the EU anyways?

You mean that 58 million Russians are working in the EU (Russia has over 100 million Russian inhabitants) ?
The answer is no although there are certainly Russians working in the EU but mainly in the Baltic.

**~~Austin~~** · 11-25-2010, 03:54 AM

Originally Posted by Civis Batavi

You mean that 58 million Russians are working in the EU (Russia has over 100 million Russian inhabitants) ?
The answer is no although there are certainly Russians working in the EU but mainly in the Baltic.

Well right but Russia doesn't even have 200 million people so having 58 million in other neighboring countries means that whatever immigration policies exist are being ignored anyways..I doubt this visa thing would change that reality.

**The Lawspeaker** · 11-25-2010, 03:55 AM

Originally Posted by Austin

Well right but Russia doesn't even have 200 million people so having 58 million in other neighboring countries means that whatever immigration policies exist are being ignored anyways..I doubt this visa thing would change that reality.

Well. I used 58 million to indicate that your notion of "half of Russia being in Europe" is false. It would be quite impossible that half of Russia (roughly 58 million) would be in Europe and we wouldn't have talked about it on the forum.

The reality of it all is that the number of Russians that are living in Europe (apart from the Baltic) is not much more then a couple of million at best.

**~~Austin~~** · 11-25-2010, 05:00 AM

Originally Posted by Civis Batavi

Well. I used 58 million to indicate that your notion of "half of Russia being in Europe" is false. It would be quite impossible that half of Russia (roughly 58 million) would be in Europe and we wouldn't have talked about it on the forum.

The reality of it all is that the number of Russians that are living in Europe (apart from the Baltic) is not much more then a couple of million at best.

Well yeah now that I think about it that makes sense. I just don't get the impression the average Russian cares much about whatever the immigration policy is anyways based on how many are illegally in the EU currently.

**Thorum** · 11-25-2010, 05:24 AM

I hadn't heard of this. I think this is a great idea. I also believe it would be good to have the same agreement for Canada/USA and Russia. Long overdue in my opinion.

**poiuytrewq0987** · 11-26-2010, 02:19 PM

Actually I see Russia's lower class going over to Western Europe for jobs should the visa regime be removed between both sides. Probably up to one, five or ten million will most likely emigrate but not "half" of Russia that's not possible at all.