Brussels, 01/10/2002 (Agence Europe) - After very long discussions, the Fifteen finally approved, on Monday evening, conclusions on Kaliningrad whereby they support the broad lines of the Commission's position that the Russians, for their part, reject. Above all, Russia calls for a rapid agreement to be reached on a visa-free train between continental Russia and Kaliningrad, which will become a Russian enclave in the EU once Poland and Lithuania become Member States. In its conclusions, the General Affairs Council declares, as a basis for discussion, that a decision in this respect can only be taken by the enlarged EU, that is after Poland and Lithuania join. The Fifteen also take a stance in favour of a "facilitated transit document", for a limited period of time of 24-36 hours. In its conclusions, the Council recalls, moreover, that it wishes to sign with Russia a re-entry agreement for immigrants in an irregular situation and that re-entry would be an integral part of a solution. Russia's request to discuss abolition of visas for the whole of Russia is, the Council believes, "a separate issue of discussions on Kaliningrad and will be considered as a long term question".
Foreign Ministers nonetheless included the following in the first chapters of their conclusions: "in view of the importance of the strategic partnership between EU and Russia, the EU is ready to make a special effort to accommodate the concerns, which Russia has raised, about the future transit of persons between Kaliningrad oblast and the rest of Russia. To this end, the EU will apply the Schengen regime with flexibility".
The Fifteen will tackle this issue again at the General Affairs Council on 21 and 22 October, and then at the European Council on 24 and 25 October. Kaliningrad will be one of the main subjects of the EU-Russia Summit on 11 November.