"In the near future the decision of the European Union has to be adopted on the beginning of the negotiations with us on the entire space of the EU, and as soon as the mandate will be approved at the European Union's commission, all the issues will be in competence of the European Commission," the Russian Foreign Minister said.
"The fact that France and Italy are ready to sign an agreement with Russia on an easier visa regime makes it possible to spread appropriate conditions for the entire European Union," Sergei Lavrov believes.
The agreements of Russia with France and Italy on easing the visa regime are a kind of break-through in this respect, the Foreign Minister told reporters.
He hopes that after today's approval of the documents by the Russian government, the agreements will be signed in the next few days.
When these documents will come in force, the participants in scientific, educational, cultural and sport exchanges and also people going abroad within twin cities contacts will be able to receive visas for up to three months in the course of five days after an appropriate application of the host side.
Representatives of the business quarters, students, teachers, scientists and personalities from culture going abroad for the purpose of studying, teaching or for a long joint scientific or cultural work will be able to receive within 14 days a multiple visa for a term of up to 5 years on an appropriate application of the host side - the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, an educational establishment, an institution of culture/science.
The same conditions for receiving a five-year visa will be established for officials - members of the government, of the Federation Council, of the State Duma and the heads of the high judicial organisations. Official delegations, going to negotiations, will be able to receive visas in the course of two days.
The agreements provide for the possibility of granting free visas to members of official delegations, students, schoolchildren, disabled people and people above 65 years of age.
Answering questions, Sergei Lavrov said that reporters, who are not mentioned in the agreements, will receive visas much easier. "Though reporters are not dicectly mentioned, the very fact of signing the agreements has made it possible to solve the problem as urgently on a mutual basis," the minister said.
Speaking about the conditions which the European Union advances in discussing the perspectives of creating a visa-free space of Russia and the European Union, Sergei Lavrov said that in ther first place the point is in strengthening the Russian borders. "It is necessary to stre gthen and equip our borders to make correspond to the generally recognised norms in the world, so that the European Union would not worry about those Russian frontiers which do not adjoin the European Union, the minister said.
This does not mean that Russia should close its borders with the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Lavrov said. "We shall not close our borders, but the openness of the borders does not mean that they can be easily crossed by people for dishonest activity, first of all for drug trafficking, organised crime and terrorist acts," Sergei Lavrov said.
He paid special attention to the Russian -Kazakh border in connection with the reduction of the presence of Russian frontier guards in Tajikistan. "It is the problem to be seriously thought out," the minister said.
He said that the border between Russia and Kazakhstan had not yet been properly equipped.
