Copenhagen, 13/09/2002 (Agence Europe) - Friday midday, the European Commission presented EU15 Home Ministers with the broad lines of the proposals that it is to make on Wednesday to reach an agreement with Russia on the situation in Kaliningrad. Ministers approved the main principles set out by the Commission, that is, not to run counter to the Schengen acquis, and not to do anything that can delay enlargement or accession to Schengen, mainly for Lithuania (EUROPE of 12 September, p.8). But no other information had filtered through by the end of the afternoon on the reactions of ministers during the lunch in camera. At the time when Poland and Lithuania join, Kaliningrad will be a Russian enclave surrounded by EU territory. Russia calls for abolition of visas for all Russian citizens and, in the shorter term, direct Russia-Kaliningrad trains without visa requirement. The Commission reminded ministers that Lithuania is in principle opposed to these Russian demands fearing that its borders will then be considered less safe. It is to propose a transit facility document for the Russians that travel frequently between Kaliningrad and continental Russia. The solution of trains will be studied, says the Commission, which recalled, however, that it is not feasible in practice at the present time as trains do not go fast enough and cannot go faster over many sections of the journey into Lithuania, so that there is no certainty that people cannot climb on board. While Russia could link border cooperation to a positive response to its claims on Kaliningrad, the Commission insists that this cooperation is not enough, and hopes above all that a re-entry agreement for illegal immigrants from Russia will be signed. The Fifteen hope to resolve the question before the EU-Russia Summit on 11 November.