Europe not yet ready to cancel visas for Russia

"They [Europeans] are not yet ready to fix the date of the transition to a non-visa regime, but the talks on facilitating the visa regime are under way," the presidential aide said. He cited as an example the wider use of multiple visas and visas valid for many years.

"There is no breakthrough, but progress is apparent," Prikhodko holds.

"Transition to the non-visa regime is certainly the order of the day. Visa restrictions contain the development of our cooperation in many directions. The strategic nature of Russia-EU relations requires greater confidence between us, also in the visa area," the presidential aide said.

He said experts are now busy to coordinate the list of joint steps that will permit Russia and the EU to conclude an agreement on brief visa-free travel.