02/03/2007 (Agence Europe) - The president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), René van der Linden, pleaded on Wednesday in favour of a “European continent without visas” as a long-term objective, a press release reports. Keeping visas in place for reasons related to illegal immigration or crime, for example, should go hand-in-hand with “faster and more efficient” issuing procedures, he told the MEPs of the committee on civil liberties of the EP. Mr Van der Linden said that he was saddened by the problems faced by the citizens of Eastern Europe wanting to travel in the Union, but also by the reintroduction of visas for Moldovans to visit their neighbouring country of Romania, even though members of the same family may live on either side of the border. The president also reiterated his appeal for a simplification of visa procedures in order to step up student exchanges in Belarus and other European countries. (bc)