BRUSSELS, December 15, Xinhua)-the President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev and the Supreme Leader of the European Union (EU) on Thursday agreed to begin talks on visa-free travel.
According to a statement issued by the European Union, the two sides had agreed on a number of “General measures” against the visa-free travel, such as introducing biometric passports and prevent illegal migration.
“Approves the General measures, and amendments to the visa waiver agreement is a further important step to visa-free travel, and open up to more people-to-people contact,” the European Council President Herman Van Rompuy told a press conference after the Summit.
“It will be more open to the European Union, Russia and the European Union and Russia,” he said.
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, meanwhile, warned that lifting the visa requirements of the EU in Russia is still years away tourists.