Visa-free travel in return for Energy Charter

Both President Nicolas Sarkozy and Chancellor Angela Merkel in this week’s trilateral meeting in the French resort of Deauville with Russia’s Dmitri Medvedev stressed that the introduction of visa-free travel will have to be introduced gradually step-by-step. However, at the same time, the French President strongly indicated that the process can be speeded up, at least if Russia gives concessions in the issue of the European Energy Charter.

At the press conference following the meeting, Sarkozy even indicated that President Medvedev was ready to move in the issue. Asked by a journalist about the visa question, Sarkozy said that “Mr Medvedev has taken on certain commitments, among them in the issue of the Energy Charter, in order to achieve the desired result as soon as possible – the full abolishment of the visa regime”, a transcipt from the meeting posted at the Russian President’s website reads.

Russia has long opposed the Energy Charter, which will expose its strongly controlled energy market to foreign competition, and the country has rebuffed EU pressure in the issue.

Although highly positive about the state of relations with Russia, the French President was however only modestly optimistic about the quick introduction of visa-free travel. In 10-15 years, there will be visa-free travel, he said. Then, the relations will include also a joint economic space between the EU and Russia, as well as a joint security concept, he added.

Read also:Russia awaits EU response on visa issue

Russia meanwhile continues to pursue the visa-issue on all possible occasions. In the Deauville meeting, President Medvedev said that “everybody understands that the visa-regime must be abolished”. At the same time, he admitted that the question will have to be subjected to a longer process. He still called for the EU to agree about a so-called visa roadmap.

-We understand that this will have to be a process, [but] we need to define the frames of this process, and we understand that the process will need to have its “roadmap”, Medvedev said, adding that he hopes for agreement on the roadmap in the upcoming December EU-Russia Summit in Brussels.

The Franco-German-Russian meeting also included discussions on a new Partnership Agreement between the EU and Russia. Touching on the issue in the press conference, Chancellor Merkel said that “we hope a new agreement between Russia and the EU can be ready as soon as possible and have speeded up negotiations”. At the same time, she admitted that the visa-issue plays a key role in the negotiations.