President of Lithuania for issuing long-term visas for Kaliningrad residents

The President of Lithuania Valdas Adamkus has proposed issuing long-term visas or five-year plastic cards for the residents of the Kaliningrad Region.

He put forward this proposal on Thursday while meeting the Governor of the Kaliningrad Region Vladimir Yegorov. Yegorov was invited to the Lithuanian city of Klaipeda where its 750th anniversary is being celebrated today.

As Lithuania is joining the European Union and NATO, since January 1, 2003 Russian citizens will have to obtain visas to enter Lithuania. Russian leadership is concerned with the fact that this situation can lead to Kaliningrad's isolation.

President Adamkus, in his turn, thinks that Lithuania must comply with the EU rules. In his words, however, Moscow and Brussels could have reached a compromise not to burden Kaliningrad with bureaucratic demands.