Compromise Achieved at Russia's Negotiations with EU and Lithuania on Kaliningrad Problem

The negotiations have been practically finished with the European Union and Lithuania on the problem of ensuring movement of Russian citizens to the Kaliningrad region (the Russian western enclave in the Baltic) and from it. Dmitry Rogozin, special representative of the President, told reporters about it after his meeting with President Vladimir Putin.

According to the parliamentarian, the simplified transit document for all types of land transport will be given to Russians for a period of three years and will cost five euros.

In order to receive this simplified transit document, Russian citizen will have to present their foreign or Russian passport, said Dmitry Rogozin. He specified that a Russian citizen will have the right to be in the territory of Lithuania up to 24 hours.

The simplified transit document, continued Dmitry Rogozin, is meant mainly for those who live in the Kaliningrad region or who often go there. For those Russians who rarely visit Kaliningrad or are leaving it, there will be a possibility to buy tickets in a booking office as a minimum 24 hours before the departure of the train. Later, in the train, they will fill in the questionnaire and receive simplified transit documents, said Dmitry Rogozin.

The President's special representative underscored that this "new procedure" will be entered into the Schengen Treaty. He noted that earlier the Schengen Treaty was regarded as a dogma, but at the present time the approach is changing, and we are talking about the introduction of innovations into it. As was pointed out by Dmitry Rogozin, in the course of the negotiations between Russia and the European Union a compromise has been achieved.

For its part, said Rogozin, the Russian parliament will have to ratify the treaty on the state border with Lithuania and adopt some other juridical acts.

It is expected that in case of the completion of all the necessary procedures, the simplified visa-free transit will be introduced since July, this year.