Visa travel: throwback to the Iron Curtain – Duma Speaker

Published time: February 06, 2013 09:47
Edited time: February 06, 2013 13:47
(Reuters / Eric Gailliard)

State Duma Speaker Sergei Naryshkin has renewed Moscow’s call for open borders between Russian and the European Union.

­"Visa travel is an element of the Iron Curtain and it still exists,” said during a working visit to France. “We are offering its dismantlement, abolition [to European colleagues] but, so far, our partners refuse to meet us halfway." 

Russia will continue advocating for the relaxation or abolition of visas requirements to Europe, he added, admitting that much more needs to be done.

"Everything [Russia and its European partners] have done thus far fails to meet contemporary requirements for broadening humanitarian contacts, as well as facilitating greater mobility of Russian and EU citizens," the State Duma speaker said.

Naryshkin, expressing Moscow’s gratitude to Paris for relaxing visa requirements on Russian citizens traveling to France, said Russia’s French colleagues have a “very positive position" on the question of visa-less travel.

Moscow counts on French support within the relevant EU commissions regarding this crucial issue, the Duma Speaker added.

Naryshkin’s comments reflect those of President Vladimir Putin, who recently criticized the visa regime between Russia and the European Union, saying it is inhibiting the development of economic relations between the trading partners.

Although bilateral trade between Russia and the European Union stands at US$400 billion, the European Commission in November proposed adding “five Caribbean countries and 10 countries located in the Pacific Ocean” to the list of countries whose citizens will not need a visa to enter the EU, Putin said at the Russia-EU summit in December.

The Russian leader reminded EU officials that Russian tourists contribute a lot to the EU economy each year.

"Every year, Russian tourists spend about 18 billion euro in shops in the European Union,” Putin emphasized.

Robert Bridge, RT

Comments (19)

Russia is Eurasian not European: Visa free regime between EU and Russia will not happen-not any time soon. (unregistered) 07.02.2013 21:44

Russia is Eurasian not European: Visa free regime between EU and Russia will not happen-not any time soon. The post-Soviet Russians- at least those living in the European part of Russia- have started imbibing in the popular culture of European racialist discourses. Thus, they want to be part of Europe, enter Europe on free visa regime. But a 2/3 of Russia is in Asia. Despite claims of multi-culturalism, Europeans see themselves as members of a completely fake construction of Caucasian whiteness. Of course, Russians businessmen who must endure the indignities of standing line for visas to enter Europe would like the visa restrictions between Europe and Russia to go away. But this is not going to happen. Racism against Russia is deeply rooted in the very psyche of European mindset. Will Russia claim the true identity Caucasians- despite some seem to dislike the wonder artistic dance culture of lezginka" - and stop her repeated demands for a free visa regime with Europe? The other option is the Russians to ask to be incorporated into the fake European [Caucasian] whiteness? I would like to know the views of all these Russians who want to Russians orphans to be adopted in the U.S. if people of Russia’s Caucasus ask to adopt these kids or black Americans offer a helping hand of adopting these orphans. I think we can guess what would the position of “the new creative classes” in Russia. The visa problems with Europe cannot be understood outside of deep European Russophobia. The new Russians do not seem to get the dynamics of racism at very core of the EU anti-Russian visa restrictions.

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TO:guest (unregistered) 07.02.2013 18:40

you understand neither the English language nor do you understand the absurdity of calling the people from the Caucasus “half” Caucasians. The key problem for the wannabe white European- and a member of the fake “Caucasians” Russians is that but they hate the real Caucasians! So we have this type of stupid comment as calling the Caucasians “half” Caucasians. It is hard to show any sympathy to this type of the new stupid Russians. In this case. give me the real Caucasians with their guns and proud dancing prowess over the weakly Russians with identity crisis any day. The very people who dance "lezginka" and shoot guns in the air- are the Caucasians! Who are the new wannabe be European Russians?

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guest (unregistered) 07.02.2013 18:06

"How it is the people from the Caucasus are “half” Caucasian?"

A nd how is it you can not read and undestand english, and twist my words?

Racism has blinded me... what racism, when ethnic caucasians dance lezginka, say openly "russians are pigs" and violate every concept of respecting russian society? Sorry, THEY are the racists.

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