Rusia y la UE discutirán la cancelación de visas para los propietarios de pasaportes de servicio

Question of cancellation of visas for owners of service passports between Russia and the European union will be discussed in October at a meeting of representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministries of Justice of Russia and of the European union, – informs “Kommersant” newspaper.

This meeting will take place in Cyprus within the framework of sittings of permanent council of partnership of the Russian Federation and the European Union on safety issues and justice. Minister of Justice Alexander Konovalov will head the Russian delegation.

As notes the edition, work on a visa regime is now conducted in two directions. One of them – realization of positions “the combined steps”, – more prolonged and less sensational, work at which, eventually, will lead to conclusive cancellation of visa formalities. The second direction consists in signing of agreement about introduction of changes into treaty of 2006 about simplification of a visa regime. In particular, introduction into this law of the amendment which provides extension of the list of applicants for multiple entry visas for a period of five years, simplification of visa formalities at the repeat application and cancellation of visas to owners of service passports.

International service passports are issued for employees of diplomatic missions and consulates of Russia, to the military personnel abroad on official business, to employees of state apparatus and members of their families. As notes “Kommersant”, in all Russia there are about 15 thousand owners of international service passports, in the European Union of such citizens are about 20 thousand. The main obstacle in signing of amendments – confidence of the European Union that service passports in Russia are received not by those people who should receive them. And that fact that in liberalization of a visa regime Europe intends to do the main emphasis on representatives of a science, culture, humanitarian missions and students, and not at all on officials. For a meeting in October the parties prepared a number of compromise options in this question and, possibly, the obstacle will be overcome.