Russia will not ask EU to relax visa regime - Ushakov
MOSCOW. May 31 (Interfax) - Russia is going to offer the European Union to speed up the switch to visa-free short-term travels, Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov said.
"Our position is clear. It was stated millions of times. Its essence is to simplify rules, if not visa-free travel, will only contribute to more active exchanges not only on the trade and economic track but also on the civil society track. But we will not ask the EU to solve this issue right now, when it is not ready," Ushakov told journalists at a briefing ahead of the Russia-EU summit that will take place in Yekaterinburg on June 3-4.
Currently, there are difficulties as part of the visa-free travels negotiations that in particular deal with the application of simplified rules to official passports holders, "although a number of rather large countries have made advancements" on this issue, he said.
"This will be discussed once again, but of course no one will beg anyone," Ushakov said.
Russia is going to once again propose accelerating the switch to visa-free short-term travels, and then the ball will be on the EU's side, he said.
"At the same time one can simplify the visa issuance procedure modernizing a relevant agreement signed in 2006," he said.