“We are trying to solve the problem of free visas for Kaliningrad residents”

In 2007, the partnership and cooperation agreement between Russia and the European Union expires. This document was signed more than ten years ago and is seriously out of date. Presumably in mid-May, Russia and the EU may conclude a new agreement. What will it become? How will it affect residents of the border Kaliningrad region? Vremya Novostey's own correspondent in the Kaliningrad region, Vadim SMIRNOV, talked about this with the head of the European Commission's representative office in the Russian Federation, Mark FRANKO.

— Mr. Franco, what will be the new document regulating relations between Russia and the European Union?

-- It will be updated and improved in accordance with the requirements of today's times. It is planned to clean up the agreement by removing outdated elements. When the current agreement was concluded, Russia was in a difficult transition period - then, for example, there was no talk of your country joining the World Trade Organization. The new document proposes to fix those areas of cooperation that are described in the four common spaces between Russia and the EU - economic, space of freedom, security and justice, external security and space of scientific research and education. The new agreement will be comprehensive and comprehensive. But at the same time, some things will not be described in detail. On some fundamental issues, separate agreements may be adopted, for example, on visa facilitation, energy, and trade.

— Both Russia and the EU have repeatedly emphasized that the Kaliningrad region is a pilot region in relations between them. Will it be mentioned in the new agreement?

- It's hard to say. So far I have not yet seen the text of the new document. But I think it is unlikely that there will be a special section on this region. However, the Kaliningrad region still occupies a special placein relations between Russia and the European Union due to its unique geographical location. The EU, in particular, plans to continue to support the modernization of Kaliningrad border crossings. Let me remind you that the European Union has already allocated 2 million euros for the reconstruction of the checkpoint in Bagrationovsk, 8 million for the border crossing in Chernyshevsky, 13 million for Mamonov. Another 10 million euros will go to the checkpoint in Sovetsk. Modern checkpoints will make border crossing easier, which is very important. But that's not all. A new cross-border cooperation program has come into force within the framework of the EU Neighborhood Policy. About 130 million euros will be allocated for the development of the regions of Poland, Lithuania and the Kaliningrad region as a whole.

-- Let's return to the issue of the agreement between Russia and the EU. Some experts believe that as soon as the new document is adopted, free visas to Lithuania and Poland will be immediately canceled for residents of the Kaliningrad region.

- No, the visa issue is not strictly linked here. We concluded an agreement to simplify the visa regime between Russia and the EU much earlier. However, it has not yet come into force. The visa issue, I note, is a separate block in our relations. As for the fees... Soon the cost of a Schengen visa is expected to increase to 60 euros. However, for Russian citizens, under the agreement on visa facilitation, it will remain at the current level - 35 euros per visa. Residents of the Kaliningrad region, for example, receive a visa to Lithuania for free. But when this republic joins Schengen, Kaliningrad residents, like all Russians, will have to pay 35 euros for a Schengen visa. But such a visa will give you the opportunity to move freely throughout almost all of Europe, and not just in Lithuania. We understand how important free visas are for Kaliningrad residents. And we are trying to find a solution to this problem. I will add that this will not affect the Kaliningrad transit system in any way. Everything works fine here and there should be no changes. The issue of residents of border areas is being separately considered - perhaps visa concessions will be provided to those who live within a 30-kilometer zone from the border and often cross it.

— The last question is not directly related to the topic of our conversation, but it worries many Kaliningraders. Do you consider it advisable to deploy elements of the American missile defense system in states geographically close to Russia - the Czech Republic and Poland, members of the European Union? Will this provoke a build-up of military forces in the Kaliningrad region?

- I don’t think I should comment on these US plans in any way. Military bases are not the competence of the European Commission. And we are not developing any official position on this matter. We are quite pleased that we can focus on developing cross-border cooperation.