Stubb to discuss visa policies with Lavrov

“Finland wants the European Union and Russia to achieve visa-free travel”, Finnish Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb told newspaper Vedomosti today. “I promise that we, on our part, will make every effort to reach that goal,” the minister added, Itar-Tass reports

Visa facilitation will be one the issues in today’s meeting between the two foreign ministers.

As BarentsObserver has reported, Mr. Stubb has on several occasions expressed strong support with the Russian bid for visa-free travel. At the same time, however, the foreign minster maintains that Russia itself has a job to do to faciliate traveling. He believes Russia lately has tightened its visa policy. Ahead of his visit in Moscow, he told Finnish broadcaster Yle that the issue of Russian visa policies will be raised in the meeting. Finland has been urging Russia to ease its complex practices regarding work permits and registration.

Other top issues in the meeting are expected to be the development of EU-Russian relations and the situation in Afghanistan, as well as matters related to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. The two foreign minister meet regularly and last time during the Barents Euro-Arctic Council session in Murmansk in October last year. Finland seeks to be a bridge in relations between the EU and Russia.

The meeting takes place at the same time as Sweden’s Fredrik Reinfeldt is in town for meetings with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.