Brussels, 27/08/2002 (Agence Europe) - Dmitri Rogozine, the special envoy of Vladimir Putin for the Kaliningrad talks, delivered a letter from the Russian President to German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder on Monday in Berlin, requesting the opening of "concrete negotiations" on the question of transit visas for inhabitants of the enclave. In an interview with the German press agency DPA, Mr Rogozine stated that Vladimir Putin wishes to reach "a realistic deadline" for doing away with transit visas for residents of Kaliningrad who cross Poland and Lithuania to travel to Russia. Warsaw and Vilnius are expected to join the EU in 2004 and will therefore be obliged to require transit visas for Russian nationals, which Moscow has always considered unacceptable. Mr Rogozine pointed out that the EU has already signed agreements with many third States allowing their nationals to enter the Community territory without a visa. He announced that Russia intended to submit technical proposals aimed at protecting the EU fully from the risks of illegal immigration, and said he hoped the "European Commission would be constructive and creative on the question". Mr Rogozine will be in Warsaw on Wednesday. His European tour has already taken him to Finland, Denmark and Austria.