Brussels, 22/03/2013 (Agence Europe) - Despite the progress made by the EU and Russia on conclusion of a visa facilitation agreement (simplified procedures for certain categories of Russian nationals), European Commissioner for Home Affairs Cecilia Malmström, did not conceal her misgivings, during her visit to Russia, about the possibility of ultimately providing Russia with a visa waiver system for travel to the EU. On her twitter account, the commissioner highlighted her “serious concerns” over cases such as the Magnitsky affair. She stated that “we are making progress on visa facilitation and liberalisation. We still have serious concerns about the Magnitsky case”. A little later in the day, Malmström also used twitter to denounce the harassment of Russian human rights activists by the authorities. In an interview with the newspaper Kommersant, published on Thursday, the president of the Commission, José Manuel Barroso, also warned Russia that there could be no progress towards a visa free movement area without progress on human rights. (SP/transl.fl)