#14
gazeta.ru
August 28, 2002
Russia strives to squeeze into Europe

Russian President Vladimir Putin has addressed the heads of the EU-states with a proposal to consider introduction of visa-free travel for both Russian nationals and Europeans as a means to resolve the long-standing dispute over visa regime for the residents of Kaliningrad, Russia's Baltic Sea enclave. EU plans to require residents of Kalingrad to get visa to travel to Russia through Poland and Lithuania after both states enter the EU, some time in 2004.

On Tuesday the Kremlin press-service released a statement saying that Vladimir Putin had offered the EU leaders a new solution to the Kaliningrad problem. Putin urged the EU "to consider a new integrative initiative proposed by Russia, which gives practical steps for achieving the ambitious goal of switching in the long-term to a visa-free travel regime between Russian and the EU", the Kremlin statement said. Putin voiced hope that the parties would be able to work out a mutually acceptable solution before a Russia-EU summit in Copenhagen in November.

Addressing his European counterparts, Russian President expressed "Russia's consistent intention of extending cooperation with the European Union which is gradually taking on the shape of effective strategic partnership".

Putin said the main goal of such partnership was "to transform Europe into a peaceful continent without dividing lines, which envisages Russia's deep integration into the common European economic, legal and humanitarian space. "Today, it is becoming obvious that the further development of this process requires reciprocal freedom of movement of citizens of Russia and the European Union member states. "This is the context in which the issue of free transit of people and cargo between Kaliningrad Region and the rest of Russia should be considered Putin said.

"Russia expects that appropriate consideration will be shown for its national interests concerning free communication with a constituent member of the federation which history may soon place inside the European Union territory," the message reads.

"This most important political issue fashions not only the life of the Kaliningrad region as an integral part of the Russian Federation but also to a large degree the vector of our further relations with the expanding European Union," the Kremlin said.

One of the first Russian politicians to comment on Putin's bold proposal was the chairman of the State Duma committee for international affairs and Russian president's special representative for Kaliningrad problem Dmitry Rogozin. In an interview with the Ekho Moskvy radio station Rogozin said he considered it quite possible for the EU and Russia to work out an agreement on visa-free travel.

According to Rogozin, "it would be strange to hear the EU leaders deny the possibility of forging such an agreement". That would mean that Europeans reject Russia's initiative to further cooperation in the framework of strategic partnership, he said. "It is time to proceed from idle talk to deeds," the politician said.

At the same time, Rogozin noted that Putin's initiative does not envision Russia's accession to the Schengen zone. It calls for working out a bilateral agreement on visa-free travel for both Europeans and Russian nationals.

To recap, Kaliningrad is a detached Russian enclave sandwiched between Poland and Lithuania, and its 1.3 million residents face having to obtain visas to travel to and from mainland Russia when those two countries become part of the EU, probably in 2004. For several months now Russia and the EU leadership have held consultations on the visa regime for Kaliningrad, but so far no agreement has been reached. The EU insists on imposing visa regime for Kaliningrad residents, fearing that without proper border controls Kaliningrad would become a source of crime and disorder. As a solution the EU suggested that cheap, multi-entry visas be issued for Kaliningrad residents.

Russia says introducing visa regime is unacceptable. Russian citizens enjoy freedom of movement, and should they desire to travel to and from Kaliningrad by land, they must have the right to do so. Russia proposed to establish visa-free corridors, or use special "sealed trains" that would link Kaliningrad with the mainland. Yet, the EU resolutely rejected the idea.

Eventually, this Tuesday Vladimir Putin laid down a new plan of working out a compromise over Kaliningrad. There was no immediate public comment to the letter from any of the EU leaders.

In spite of Rogozin's optimism, it is obvious that the Europeans will not welcome the idea of opening their borders to Russians.

The EU, that would not let Russian residents even to travel though their lands in "sealed" trains, will never accede to that. Given the economic, cultural and social differences between the EU and Russia, those fears seem well-grounded. The consequences of opening borders are obvious. Thousands of Russians will flow into Europe seeking better jobs and better life there. Europe will not survive the incursion.

It appears, that Putin does understand that perfectly well. By urging the EU to regard Kaliningrad problem as only a small part of a far more important problem in the context of strategic partnership and cooperation, which demands free transit of people and cargo throughout Europe, Putin aims to persuade the Europeans change their stance on Kalingrad and allow its residents visa-free travel. And then, possibly, Russia will reciprocate for that move pledging not to raise again (at least in the near future) the issue of expanding the Schengen zone towards its easternmost lands of Kamchatka and Sakhalin.

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